In the 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' report published in 2024, it was observed that up to 733 million people globally suffered from malnutrition in 2023. This is an increase of 152 million from 2019.
This trend has been linked to the food price dynamics. In 2022, when the world experiences sharp price rises, the World Bank estimated that a mere 1 per cent rise in global food prices can push an additional 10 million people into extreme poverty. Because of rising food prices and growing inequality around the world, a largely obscure villain, "hidden hunger", is now unleashing his spectre around the world. And, in 2022 alone, at least 2.8 billion people have been pushed to the grapple of "hidden hunger".
What is hidden hunger?
Hidden hunger describes a state of deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, iodine, and iron), referred to collectively as micronutrients. Often, the signs of this form of malnutrition are 'hidden'. The individuals may appear "fine" but may be suffering from extremely negative impacts on health and well-being. Clinical signs of hidden hunger appear only when the deficiency becomes severe. Traditional notions of hunger typically focus on caloric deficiency, but in recent years only it has been appreciated that an inadequate intake of micronutrients may have health consequences even without overt signs of disease.
The Food Security and Nutrition report highlights that while it may seem intuitive that food-insecure individuals are less likely to maintain a healthy diet, the relationship is not straightforward. This complexity arises from various factors that differ across contexts, including food environments, consumer behaviour, and the cost and affordability of nutritious foods.
In some cases, food insecurity is linked to lower consumption of all food types and a higher reliance on staple foods for dietary energy. In others, it can be associated with reduced intake of nutritious foods and increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and salt. As a result, food insecurity and "hidden hunger" can result not only in undernutrition but can also lead to overweight and obesity.
Hidden hunger-diabetes link
Micronutrient deficiencies are a significant issue, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence suggests that micronutrient deficiencies may influence glucose metabolism and insulin signalling pathways, leading to the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes.
Notably, the diabetes load of countries like India is significant.
Recently, a group of researchers from the Indian Institute of Health Management Research attempted to find crucial links connecting micronutrient deficiency and type 2 diabetes and published their findings in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health. As part of this study, the researchers analysed 132 studies with 52,501 participants, and they concluded that micronutrient deficiencies are common in type 2 diabetes patients, and found that among the individual micronutrients, vitamin D deficiency was the most common deficiency, with a prevalence as high as 60.45%.
Notably, the team also observed that women were more likely to be affected by micronutrient deficiency than men.
