The term 'double burden of malnutrition' is usually interpreted in terms of the physical status of children: stunted and wasted children on the one hand and overweight/obese children on the other. There is a third category of malnutrition that can occur at either end of the anthropometric spectrum or, indeed, in children whose physical size may be close to ideal. This third type is most commonly articulated with the phrase 'hidden hunger' and is often illustrated by micronutrient deficiencies; thus, we refer to it here as 'undernutrition'. As understanding of such issues advances, we realise that there is a myriad of factors that may be influencing a child's road to nutritional health. In this BMC Medicine article collection we consider these influences and the impact they have, such as: the state of the child's environment; the effect this has on their risk of, and responses to, infection and on their gut; the consequences of poor nutrition on cognition and brain development; the key drivers of the obesity epidemic across the globe; and how undernourishment can affect a child's body composition. This collection showcases recent advances in the field, but likewise highlights ongoing challenges in the battle to achieve adequate nutrition for children across the globe.

中文翻译：

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应对儿童营养不良的三重威胁。


“营养不良的双重负担”一词通常根据儿童的身体状况来解释：一方面是发育迟缓和消瘦的儿童，另一方面是超重/肥胖的儿童。第三类营养不良可能发生在人体测量范围的两端，或者事实上，发生在身体尺寸可能接近理想的儿童中。第三种类型最常用“隐性饥饿”一词来表达，并且通常以微量营养素缺乏来说明；因此，我们在这里将其称为“营养不良”。随着对这些问题的了解不断深入，我们意识到有很多因素可能会影响儿童的营养健康之路。在本 BMC Medicine 文章集中，我们考虑了这些影响及其产生的影响，例如： 儿童的环境状况；这对他们的感染风险、感染反应以及肠道的影响；营养不良对认知和大脑发育的影响；全球肥胖流行的关键驱动因素；以及营养不良如何影响儿童的身体成分。该系列展示了该领域的最新进展，但同样强调了在为全球儿童实现充足营养的斗争中持续存在的挑战。