Social Sustainability
Triple Burden
Definition
The triple burden of malnutrition is the simultaneous presence of three forms of malnutrition in the same population — and sometimes the same person: undernutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight), hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies), and overweight and obesity with their diet-related diseases. Once thought of as problems of different worlds, they now coexist in low- and middle-income countries undergoing nutrition transition, with stunted children and overweight mothers in the same households.
References
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This reference provides supporting context for how “Triple Burden” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
The concept structures WHO and FAO nutrition strategy, the Lancet Series on the double/triple burden, and national food policy design.
Why it matters
The triple burden shows malnutrition is not scarcity alone but system failure — the defining food challenge of this century.