undernourished

“We always mention that malnutrition isn't just being undernourished, it's also overnourished also overweight and obese children, and very difficult to diet,” explains Dr Silvestre.

He said he soon found himself in the same situation as the Filipinos – overworked and undernourished.

"We believe this new model will help us investigate many of the major challenges facing undernourished children, including higher rates of infection and changes in cognitive development," said Cowardin, part of UVA's Department of Pediatrics.

"The people on my operating table were undernourished. A lot of them were cachectic," she said, referring to people experiencing extreme weight loss and muscle wasting.

By contrast, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies were only observed in children who were undernourished, leading researchers to conclude that iron deficiency in overweight children is probably due to inflammation disrupting the mechanisms that regulate iron absorption.