§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of British children suffer from malnutrition; and what was the figure in 1990. [32550]
§ Ms JowellMalnutrition can mean over-nourishment as well as under-nourishment. As there is no clearly defined or accepted definition of malnutrition, the Department does not have information in the form requested.
Nevertheless, the nutritional status of children can be assessed in several ways. The most widely adopted measure is height. An increase in height indicates an improvement in the nutrition of children. A continuous survey of English and Scottish children aged 5–11 years between 1972 to 1994 showed a year by year increase in the average height of all age groups. The same survey showed an increase in the mean weight for height index (an indicator of fatness) since about 1982, especially in girls. Another measure of fatness is Body Mass Index (BMI) and a recent survey indicated that the BMI of English children aged 2–15 years was generally higher than the 1990 reference figures. This indicates that children are generally getting fatter which represents an unsatisfactory trend.
The Health Survey for England 1996 provides some information on anaemia in children, which can be caused by iron deficiency. It indicated that in the 12–14 age group, about 3 per cent. of white boys and girls might have had an iron deficiency. A survey in 1992–93 of British children aged between 1½ and 4½ years indicated that over 8 per cent. might have been deficient in iron. However, there is no comparable information for 1990. The problems of deficiencies of iron are being investigated to identify how best to prevent the disorder in all population groups.