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Underweight is considered to be below the normal recommended weight for a person’s height, built and sex. People who are underweight may have an increased risk of anemia, heart irregularities and osteoporosis, and one of the better known conditions associated with low body weight is anorexia, and people who are underweight can find it extremely difficult to put on weight. Undernutrition in mild, moderate and severe forms can have significant and long-lasting effects on the health of children. Maternal underweight can lead to an increased risk of growth retardation of the baby and a risk of low birth weight that is associated with an increased mortality in early childhood.
This study estimates the burden of disease attributable to underweight in children under-five and in pregnant women for South Africa in 2000 using the comparative risk assessment methodology developed by the WHO. View the results. (pdf format, 295 kb) |
