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Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or inadequate diet and nutrition. A number of different nutrition disorders may arise, depending on which nutrients are under or overabundant in the diet.

The World Health Organization cites hunger as the gravest single threat to the world's public health. Malnutrition is, by far, the biggest contributor to infant and child mortality, present in half of all cases. Malnutrition, in the form of iodine deficiency, is the most common cause of mental impairment, reducing the world's IQ by an estimated billion points. Improving nutrition is widely regarded as the most effective form of aid.

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