Malnutrition now being fuelled by obesity

We recently told you about how obesity rates in the US continue to rise, despite significant sums of money having been spent to try and curb the trend.

But now a new report has worryingly revealed that malnutrition across the world is being fuelled by obesity, and not just starvation.

The 2016 Global Nutrition Report, which includes data from 129 countries, says that 44% are experiencing "very serious levels" of both under-nutrition and obesity. In other words, one in three people suffers from malnutrition even in this day and age.

In fact, the report's authors said that malnutrition is now "the new normal", and while a lot of great work has been done to combat the problem of malnutrition stemming from starvation, there is a "staggering global challenge" presented by rising obesity levels needs urgently addressing.

The report outlined how hundreds of millions of people are malnourished because they are obese. Many also have too much sugar, salt and cholesterol in their blood.

Professor Corinna Hawkes, who co-chaired the research, said that the report should serve to highlight how the traditional image of malnutrition is changing, and it's no longer just something that is linked to starvation.

"Malnutrition literally means bad nutrition - that's anyone who isn't adequately nourished," she said.