Geographical analysis

Abstract

Abstract Malnutrition refers to the situation where there is an unbalanced diet in which some nutrients are in excess, lacking or wrong proportion. More than one third of the world’s malnourished children live in India. Among these, half of them under three are underweight and a third of wealthiest children are over-nourished. 47 percent of India’s children below the age of three years are malnourished. At least half of Indian infant deaths are related to malnutrition, often associated with infectious diseases. Number of malnourished children is much more in India than the backward countries of Sub- Saharan Africa. Malnutrition is a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. However it is frequently used to mean just under nutrition from either inadequate calories or inadequate specific dietary components for whatever reason. WHO warns that malnutrition is the greatest threat to human health. Malnutrition is such menace that it not only causes the disorders but also it is result of diseases. Thus, the problem of malnutrition needs our attention to the fullest extent. Since healthy children only can grow into healthy citizens who in turn can create a healthy society in future. Hence, the present study makes an attempt to throw light on causes and effects of child malnutrition in the study area of Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation of Karnataka State.

Key words: Malnutrition, Body Mass Index, Nutrients, Weight-for-height, Weight-for-age.