Key Terms and Definitions
Intervention
An intervention1 is a purposely-planned action designed with the intent of changing a nutrition-related behavior risk
factor, environmental condition, or aspect of health status for an individual, a target group, or a population at large.
If implemented at scale, the intervention could significantly reduce the effects of maternal and child undernutrition.
Effective interventions are available to reduce underweight, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and child deaths.2
Nutrition interventions are actions within greater nutrition, health, and agriculture programs.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the state of being poorly nourished,3 whether undernourished or obese. Malnutrition is not merely
having too little or too much food. Malnutrition associated with hunger is caused by a combination of factors:
insufficient protein, energy, and micronutrients; frequent infections or illnesses; poor care and feeding practices;
inadequate health services; unsafe water and/or lack of improved sanitation.
Stunting
Stunting.4 Low height for age or height for age more than a standard deviation of 2 below the median value of the
reference (healthy) population.
Wasting
Wasting.5 Low weight for height or weight for height more than a standard deviation of 2 below the median value
of the reference (healthy) population
Undernutrition
Undernutrition6 is the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases. Being underweight for
one’s age, too short for one’s age (stunted), dangerously thin for one’s height (wasted), and/or deficient in vitamins
and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition) are all classed as undernutrition. Undernutrition7 can be identified by
anthropometric indices (underweight, stunting, and wasting) and/or by the missing micronutrients in poor quality
diets.
Underweight
Underweight.8 Low weight for age or weight for age more than a standard deviation of 2 below the median value
of the reference (healthy) population.
Global Political Momentum for Nutrition:
Why Now?
For the first time in decades, there are efforts at the global
level to make progress against hunger and malnutrition
by scaling up proven nutrition interventions. The global
food price crisis in 2007-2008 was a wake-up call to many
governments, refocusing high-level political attention on
hunger and food insecurity. The crisis and its aftermath
present an opportunity to reverse decades of neglect of
agricultural development. Continuing food price volatility
has also helped keep the focus on the need for policy
improvements and advocacy and for better implementation
and integration of nutrition into other programs.
Several key factors led to the renewed focus on nutrition
we see today:
1. New Evidence about the Impact of
Undernutrition—Combined with a Growing
Consensus on a Set of Cost-Effective Nut ɥѥ