Prensa Latina News Agency reports said that this data was included on Wednesday in the Statement of Rome, approved in this capital by 170 participating countries in the Second International Conference on Nutrition.
According to the text of the meeting opened Wednesday morning that will last until Friday, there is a strong concern about the fact that despite the significant achievements by many countries in eradicating hunger, from 2012 to 2014, the number of those affected by that scourge continue at high levels.
The document warned that malnutrition is the first cause of death among children under five years of age, because during 2013, that evil caused 45 percent of the deaths recorded at those ages.
Meanwhile, although chronic malnutrition measured by growth delay has decreased, it still affected 161 million children last year and 51 million others had severe malnutrition.
According to the statement, more than 2,000 people suffer from lack of micro-nutrients, especially vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc.
Another problem, the text said, is that 42 million children under five were recorded in 2013 as suffering overweight, while more than 500 million adults suffered from obesity in 2010.
The participants in the meeting also recognized that although food risks affect all socioeconomic groups, there are huge inequalities in different countries and within the same nations.(KH)
