Wasting

Further information: Malnutrition

In medicine, wasting, also known as wasting syndrome, refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to "waste" away. Wasting is sometimes referred to as "acute malnutrition" because it is believed that episodes of wasting have a short duration, in contrast to stunting, which is regarded as chronic malnutrition. An estimated 45 million children under 5 years of age (or 6.7%) were wasted in 2021.[1]: 4  Wasting prevalence declined from 7.5% in 2012 to 6.8% in 2022, with 6.2% of children under five years old projected to be wasted in 2030, more than double the 3% Sustainable Development Goals target.[2] Prevalence is highest in Southern Asia, followed by Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and South-eastern Asia.[1]: 14 

  1. ^ a b UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group joint child malnutrition estimates: levels and trends in child malnutrition: key findings of the 2021 edition. World Health Organization. 5 May 2021. ISBN 9789240025257.
  2. ^ FAO; IFAD; UNICEF; WFP; WHO (2024). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024. FAO; IFAD; UNICEF; WFP; WHO. doi:10.4060/cd1254en. ISBN 978-92-5-138882-2.
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