What is malnutrition?

Many people throughout the world suffer from malnutrition-that is, they are undernourished. Undernourishment causes ill-health, starvation and death. The FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) has worked out how the calorie intake of people compares with what they need for good health.

The worst malnutrition occurs in developing countries. For example, the average calorie intake per person in Ghana in 1983 was only 68 per cent of a person’s needs, whereas in the USA, it was 137 per cent.