Public Health Nutrition Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Public Health Nutrition.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
The measurement of the human body, including height, weight, and body circumferences, used to assess nutritional status in populations.
The process of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value, such as developing orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with higher beta-carotene content.
A measure of body weight relative to height (kg/m^2) used for population-level screening of underweight, overweight, and obesity.
Long-term insufficient nutrient intake leading to stunting and impaired development, often originating in early childhood.
International food standards developed jointly by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and ensure fair food trade practices.
The introduction of nutritionally adequate solid and semi-solid foods alongside breast milk beginning at six months of age.
A set of nutrient intake reference values (EAR, RDA, AI, UL) used to plan and assess the diets of populations and individuals.
The coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition within the same population, community, or household.
Feeding an infant only breast milk with no other food or liquid for the first six months of life, as recommended by WHO.
A geographic area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, often lacking grocery stores or supermarkets.
The addition of essential micronutrients to widely consumed processed foods to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply.
The condition in which all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for an active and healthy life.
The right of peoples to define their own food systems, policies, and agricultural practices, emphasizing local control over food production.
A spectrum of health problems caused by insufficient iodine intake, including goiter, hypothyroidism, and impaired cognitive development.
An umbrella term encompassing undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity resulting from imbalances in energy or nutrient intake.
Chronic diseases not transmitted from person to person, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, many of which are diet-related.
The continuous monitoring of nutritional status and dietary intake in a population to detect changes, identify vulnerable groups, and inform policy.
The population-level shift in dietary patterns from traditional whole-food diets to energy-dense, nutrient-poor processed diets accompanying economic development.
A condition of excess body fat, defined by a BMI of 30 or above, associated with increased risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A high-energy, nutrient-dense paste used for community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition in children, requiring no water or refrigeration.
Impaired growth indicated by a child's height-for-age being more than two standard deviations below the WHO growth standard median.
Industrial food formulations made largely from substances derived from foods and additives, with little intact food, classified as NOVA Group 4.
Insufficient vitamin A status that can lead to night blindness, xerophthalmia, increased infection severity, and is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness.
Acute malnutrition indicated by a child's weight-for-height being more than two standard deviations below the WHO growth standard median, often resulting from recent illness or food shortage.