Underfed and Overfed: The Global Epidemic of Malnutrition

According to this report, for the first time in human history, the number of overweight people rivals the number of underweight people. While the world's underfed population has declined slightly since 1980 to 1.1 billion, the number of overweight people has surged to 1.1 billion.

Both the overweight and the underweight suffer from malnutrition, a deficiency or excess in a person's intake of nutrients and other dietary elements needed for healthy living. "The hungry and the overweight share high levels of sickness and disability, shortened life expectancies, and lower levels of productivity-each of which is a drag on a country's development," said Gary Gardner, co-author.

Surprisingly, overweight and obesity are advancing rapidly in the developing world as well. "Often, nations have simply traded hunger for obesity, and diseases of poverty for diseases of excess," said co-author Brian Halweil. Still struggling to eradicate infectious diseases, many developing nations' health care systems could be crippled by growing caseloads of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

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