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Nutrition transition in B angladesh: is the country ready for this double burden
Author(s) -
Khan Shusmita Hossain,
Talukder Shamim Hayder
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
obesity reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.845
H-Index - 162
eISSN - 1467-789X
pISSN - 1467-7881
DOI - 10.1111/obr.12100
Subject(s) - overnutrition , malnutrition , underweight , overweight , nutrition transition , medicine , environmental health , population , double burden , public health , obesity , gerontology , economic growth , nursing , endocrinology , economics
Summary Malnutrition has dominated B angladesh development, encouraged by the B angladesh I ntegrated N utrition P rogramme under the first S ector‐ W ide A pproach ( SWAp ) W orld H ealth O rganization, and the U nited N ations F ood and A griculture O rganization. To date, all the SWAp s for health, nutrition and population well‐being have identified malnutrition as a priority. Donors, U nited N ations organizations and non‐governmental organizations provide extensive support to prevent and tackle malnutrition in the country. The government has delineated an effective policy response to the high prevalence of undernutrition. B angladesh has a wide range of policies encouraging appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, 6 months of paid maternity leave in the public sector, school meals for vulnerable communities, micronutrient supplementation interventions and more. However, almost all of these efforts address the undernutrition aspect of malnutrition, neglecting the other form of malnutrition – overnutrition. Trend data from national surveys show steady increases in overweight and steady decreases in underweight among women of reproductive age. This paper sheds light on the trend data, showing the transition from under‐ to overnutrition and the double burden of malnutrition among B angladeshi women of reproductive age. It also discusses the national policy and programme responses to overweight and obesity in B angladesh among the same population.