“Uneven Progress: Declining Undernutrition and Rising Overnutrition in Nepal”
1
Research and Development, Public Health Promotion and Development Organization, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nepal
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2124
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Population-level double burden (DBM) was defined as the coexistence of under- and overnutrition, while triple burden (TBM) included anemia. Evidence on DBM and TBM in Nepal highlights rapid nutrition transition marked by the coexistence of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. Despite substantial progress being made by reducing child undernutrition, emerging evidence suggests a parallel rise in overnutrition and persistent anemia. This review study aimed to examine national trends and future projections of the double and triple burden of malnutrition in Nepal utilizing the data extracted from Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS).
METHODS:
For this review, nationally representative data from NDHS 2011, 2016, and 2022 were analyzed with indicators including child and women’s overweight, child stunting and wasting, and anemia among children (6–59 months) and women (15–49 years). Temporal trends were assessed descriptively, whereas projections to 2030 were generated using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models.
RESULTS:
Child stunting declined significantly from 41% in 2011 to 25% in 2022, with projections suggesting further reductions to nearly 10–12% by 2030. Child wasting also showed a modest. In contrast, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women increased sharply from 14% in 2011 to 35% in 2022, with half the women of reproductive age becoming overweight by 2030. Anemia remained persistently high among both children and women throughout the study period. These divergent trends demonstrate a clear shift toward a DBM, compounded by sustained micronutrient deficiencies, resulting in an emerging TBM.
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite continued progress in reducing child undernutrition, Nepal faces a growing triple burden of malnutrition as a result of rising overnutrition and persistent anemia. Integrated, life-course–oriented nutrition strategies are urgently needed to sustain undernutrition gains while preventing DBM compounded with TBM and resulting diet-related non-communicable disease risks.
Population-level double burden (DBM) was defined as the coexistence of under- and overnutrition, while triple burden (TBM) included anemia. Evidence on DBM and TBM in Nepal highlights rapid nutrition transition marked by the coexistence of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. Despite substantial progress being made by reducing child undernutrition, emerging evidence suggests a parallel rise in overnutrition and persistent anemia. This review study aimed to examine national trends and future projections of the double and triple burden of malnutrition in Nepal utilizing the data extracted from Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS).
METHODS:
For this review, nationally representative data from NDHS 2011, 2016, and 2022 were analyzed with indicators including child and women’s overweight, child stunting and wasting, and anemia among children (6–59 months) and women (15–49 years). Temporal trends were assessed descriptively, whereas projections to 2030 were generated using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models.
RESULTS:
Child stunting declined significantly from 41% in 2011 to 25% in 2022, with projections suggesting further reductions to nearly 10–12% by 2030. Child wasting also showed a modest. In contrast, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women increased sharply from 14% in 2011 to 35% in 2022, with half the women of reproductive age becoming overweight by 2030. Anemia remained persistently high among both children and women throughout the study period. These divergent trends demonstrate a clear shift toward a DBM, compounded by sustained micronutrient deficiencies, resulting in an emerging TBM.
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite continued progress in reducing child undernutrition, Nepal faces a growing triple burden of malnutrition as a result of rising overnutrition and persistent anemia. Integrated, life-course–oriented nutrition strategies are urgently needed to sustain undernutrition gains while preventing DBM compounded with TBM and resulting diet-related non-communicable disease risks.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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