Double Burden of Malnutrition and Double Duty Actions

Abstract

The terms diet and nutrition are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences between the two concepts. Diet is not only about what we eat, but the patterns of food consumption – how much or how often we eat certain foods. Dietary patterns determine nutrition, but they are about much more than intake of nutrients. Malnutrition can have severe health consequences when prolonged and takes the form of undernutrition that impacts growth and development, or overnutrition that leads to obesity. The basic principles of a healthy diet are well known, such as breastfeeding which may reduce the risk of obesity and of chronic disease in later life. Certain factors can steer individuals away from a healthy diet: these may be biological, economic, physical, social, or psychological. The pandemic has brought challenges, but the adaptations we have made can also be used in pursuit of a shared goal. To achieve universal access to palatable, affordable, nutritionally replete meals that are easy to prepare is possible, but it requires action by multiple agents combined with increased awareness. The Lancet’s double duty actions to address malnutrition represent a useful way to rethink our approach to the challenges of malnutrition, finding new opportunities for action.