Samuel N Uwaezuoke
UNTH Ituku-Ozalla 400001 Enugu
Nigeria
Review Article
Childhood Diabetes Mellitus and the Double Burden of Malnutrition: An Emerging Public Health Challenge in Developing Countries
Author(s): Samuel N UwaezuokeSamuel N Uwaezuoke
The ‘double burden of malnutrition’ refers to the simultaneous existence of both undernutrition and overnutrition in the same population across the life course. Diabetes mellitus (DM) - a major non-communicable disease - has been linked to both chronic undernutrition and obesity; the latter is now assuming prominence in developing countries. The present review aims to highlight the global burden of this non-communicable disease in children and its relationship with the ‘double burden of malnutrition’. Type 2 DM has rapidly evolved from a disease of the Western world to a global disease; from a disease of affluence to a disease that now afflicts the poor; and from an adult-onset disease to a disease that is gaining prominence in the pediatric population. Estimates from the International Diabetes Federation show that diabetes affects at least 285 million people w.. View More»