New research focuses on malnutrition and the global height gap among children

in countries with the highest and shortest average heights, there is a 20cm gap between 19-year-olds, which means that girls have an eight-year growth gap and boys have a six-year growth gap. For example, studies have shown that the average height of 19-year-old girls in Bangladesh and Guatemala (the shortest country in the world) is the same as that of 11-year-old girls in the Netherlands, the tallest country in the world.
, a global analysis led by Majid Ezzati, Ph.D., and Andrea Rodriguez Martinez, Ph.D., at Imperial College London assessed the height and weight of school-age children and adolescents around the world. The study, which used data from 65 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 in 193 countries, showed that the height and weight of school-age children varied widely around the world. Both have been used as indicators of health and dietary quality.
results, published in The Lancet, make one wonder what stole the "shortest girl" eight years of height.
researchers warn that changes in children's nutrition, particularly the lack of high-quality food, can lead to increased stunting and obesity, which can affect children's health and their well-being through their lives.the study, which looked at data from 1985 to 2019, showed that in 2019, the countries with the tallest 19-year-olds were in north-west and central Europe, including the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark and Iceland.
2019, the countries with the shortest 19-year-old populations are mostly in South Asia, South-East Asia, Latin America and East Africa, including East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala and Bangladesh.
, it is worth noting that the average height of children in emerging economies such as China, South Korea and parts of south-east Asia has increased the most in 35 years. In 2019, for example, China's 19-year-old males are 8cm taller than in 1985, and the global ranking has risen from 150 in 1985 to 65 in 2019. In contrast, the height of children, especially boys, has stagnated or even declined in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa over the past few decades.
, the trend in advanced economies is not encouraging. Over the past 35 years, the UK's global height ranking has been declining, with 19-year-old boys dropping from 28th place in 1985 (176.3cm) to 39th place (178.2cm) in 2019 and 19th-year-old girls falling from 42nd place (162.7cm) to 49th place (163.9cm).
study also assessed a child's body mass index (BMI), which can indicate whether a person's weight-to-height ratio is healthy. The analysis found that 19-year-olds with the highest BMI were found in the Pacific Islands, the Middle East, the United States and New Zealand. South Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh have the lowest BMI index for 19-year-olds. In this study, the difference between the lowest and highest BMI values was about 9 units (equivalent to 25 kg of weight).also shows that in many countries, the height and weight of five-year-olds are within the healthy range set by the World Health Organization. However, since then, children in some countries have gained too little height and too much weight.
researchers say the most important reason for this is the lack of adequately healthy nutrition and living environment for school-age children, as height and weight gain are closely related to the quality of their diet. It can be said that malnutrition "steals" people's health.
, senior author of the study, said: "We found that children in some countries can grow up to five years old healthy, but fall behind when they go to school. This indicates an imbalance between investment in improving nutrition for pre-school children and investment in school-age children and adolescents. In
, the importance of nutrition begins in the mother. Scientists say the effect is similar to a car made from poor quality parts and poor design. This kind of car can't drive much, how fast. Similarly, mother malnutrition makes babies' organs more susceptible to disease and to premature aging.
, published in the Journal of Physiology, found that mothers who are malnourished are more likely to have an early heart failure. Scientists studied the relationship between the food intake of pregnant women and the heart health of offspring, and found that reducing the mother's food intake affects the rate at which the heart ages in future generations.
growing evidence that restricting dietary intake can cause problems for the fetus, leading to structural and functional abnormalities in developing organs. The researchers used an MRI scan to study the heart of the crickets, whose mothers ate 30 percent less food than normal. They found that the offspring of eaten less crickets showed signs of decreased heart function as they grew older. By the age of 5, the structure and function of the heart are impaired.
, "We found that the health of pregnant women is critical to the health of a child's life," Peter Nathanielsz of the University of Wyoming told reporters. Society must pay attention to improving the nutritional status of women before and during pregnancy in order to prevent adverse consequences from occurring in infants. "" different communities have been dealing with undernourishment, and recommended increased nutrition intake interventions, as well as focus on obesity. The approach to overcoming this problem should focus on how to provide a sufficient amount of nutritious food to those in need through financial means and increased supply. Ezzati said in an interview with China Science Daily.
Martinez added: "Our findings suggest that governments should be encouraged to introduce policies to increase the availability of nutritious food and lower prices, as this will help children grow taller without gaining too much weight as a result." Nutrition
particularly during the current pandemic of neo-pneumonia, when schools in many countries and regions are closed, but many poor families are unable to provide adequate nutrition for their children.
WHO Director-General Tan Desser noted that the new crown outbreak is spreading at an accelerated pace in low- and middle-income countries and that women, children and adolescents often have difficulty accessing health services. WHO recommends that people stay healthy through physical activity, a nutritious diet, and alcohol restrictions, and use new products and technologies to improve the way health services are delivered.
science can determine which food is right for us, not only for weight management, but more importantly for people's overall health and well-being. Sandeep Gupta, director of the Committee of Experts on Nutrition and Health Advocacy, said.
Ezzati also believes that with advances in science and technology, coupled with increased incomes, many countries have access to diversified food. "We must take advantage of these advances to develop policies to provide healthier food around the world, especially those who cannot afford it right now." (Source: Tang Feng, China Science Journal)
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