Highlights from the International Symposium on Understanding the Double Burden of Malnutrition for Effective Interventions: A focus on stable isotope techniques in nutrition

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Author(s):  
K. Nguo
2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122
Author(s):  
Victor O. Owino ◽  
Theodora Mouratidou

Indicators reflecting the double burden of malnutrition are rarely measured in nutrition surveys and are needed to strengthen national data systems. Indicators such as body composition reflect both metabolic response to undernutrition and obesity risk and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases. Stable isotope techniques (SITs) provide accurate data on body composition, exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A status that are otherwise problematic with routine methods. Integration of SIT-derived nutrition indicators in data systems could improve the design and evaluation of programmes focused on obesity prevention, food fortification and infant and young child feeding practices. The Working Group at the symposium considered “how SIT-derived nutrition indicators may be integrated into surveillance systems to strengthen data availability and capacity at national and regional levels”. Practical considerations for the use of SITs include cost, sample size, rigorous training and logistics. It was concluded that SITs are best suited, at present, for use in sub-samples of population surveys and for validating tools that can be scaled-up more easily in population surveys. In the long term, SITs could be applied to larger surveys following potential innovations in more affordable, hand-held devices for analysis of stable isotope enrichment in the field and simpler specimen collection protocols.


2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Pradeilles ◽  
Kaleab Baye ◽  
Michelle Holdsworth

Multiple forms of malnutrition co-exist (the double burden) in low- and middle-income countries, but most interventions and policies target only one form. Identifying shared drivers of the double burden of malnutrition is a first step towards establishing effective interventions that simultaneously address the double burden of malnutrition (known as double-duty actions). We identified shared drivers for the double burden of malnutrition, to assess which double-duty actions are likely to have the greatest reach in preventing all forms of malnutrition, in the context of the sustainable development goals. We reviewed existing conceptual frameworks of the drivers of undernutrition, obesity and environmental sustainability. Shared drivers affecting all forms of malnutrition and environmental sustainability were captured using a socio-ecological approach. The extent to which drivers were addressed by the five double-duty actions proposed by the WHO was assessed. Overall, eighty-three shared drivers for the double burden of malnutrition were identified. A substantial proportion (75·0%) could be addressed by the five WHO double-duty actions. ‘Regulations on marketing’ and ‘promotion of appropriate early and complementary feeding in infants’ addressed the highest proportion of shared drivers (65·1% and 53·0%, respectively). Twenty-four drivers were likely to be sensitive to environmental sustainability, with ‘regulations on marketing’ and ‘school food programmes and policies’ likely to have the greatest environmental reach. A quarter of the shared drivers remained unaddressed by the five WHO double-duty actions. Substantially more drivers could be addressed with minor modifications to the WHO double-duty actions and the addition of de novo actions.


10.1596/26102 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Shrimpton ◽  
Nkosinathi Vusizihlobo Mbuya ◽  
Anne Marie Provo

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract The burden of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) represents a public health issue of gigantic proportion at global level. Among others, diet has been demonstrated to be a key element to maintain health and prevent NCDs. Today's world is facing the so-called “double burden of malnutrition”, characterized by the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight, obesity or diet-related NCDs due to a substantial shift toward unhealthy diet high in sugars and ultra-processed foods and concomitant inadequate accessibility of nutritious foods. While interventions to improve diet quality and nutrition knowledge are of paramount importance in order to decrease the burden of NCDs over the next decades, the international policy framework should aim to develop evidence-based policy approaches to reduce such burden globally. In this context, the EUPHA Food and nutrition section, the EUPHA Chronic diseases section, the EUPHA Health promotion section, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), aim to propose a joint workshop to provide the latest updates from leading scientists and experts involved in global health research, with a special focus on NCDs, obesity and nutrition-related risk factors as well as ongoing interventions aimed to reduce the double burden of malnutrition. The objectives of the present workshop are the following: To quantify the global burden and temporal trends of NCDs risk factors; To assess the impact of nutrition-related risk factors on NCDs; To provide examples of advocacy activities and actions at global level to improve nutrition education and dietary behaviors; To promote translatable information at global level and drive implementation of knowledge into policy and practice. Organizing the present workshop would provide an important occasion for gathering experts in the field and sharing opinions with the audience in light of the presented results. Given the many actors involved, the workshop will provide a unique occasion to discuss about potential policy approaches in the context of the conference. Key messages There is science-based evidence demonstrating that healthy nutrition is a key factor to maintain global health and prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. Governmental and non-governmental efforts are currently working to counteract malnutrition worldwide.


Author(s):  
Mohamed Elhoumed ◽  
Amanuel kidane Andegiorgish ◽  
Qi Qi ◽  
Mitslal Abrha Gebremedhin ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
...  

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