Glossary 
Glossary | |
| Terms that are on use on this site. | |
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| There are 28 entries in the glossary. | |
| Pages: 1 | |
| Term | Definition |
| anthropometry | Use of human body measurements to obtain information about nutritional status. |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | A ratio of weight for height often used to estimate body fat.
It is obtained by dividing the weight (in kilograms) by the
square of the height (in meters). BMI is not appropriate for
assessment of growing children, frail and sedentary elderly
individuals, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Handbook |
| degree of food deprivation | A measure of the overall food insecurity situation in a country, based on a classification system that combines prevalence of undernourishment, i.e. proportion of the total population suffering from dietary energy deficit, and depth of undernourishment, i.e. magnitude of the dietary energy deficit of the undernourished population. |
| dietary energy deficit | The difference between the average daily dietary energy intake of an undernourished population and its average minimum energy requirement. |
| dietary energy intake | The energy content of food consumed. |
| dietary energy requirement | The amount of dietary energy required by an individual to maintain body functions, health and normal activity. |
| dietary energy supply | Food available for human consumption, expressed in kilocalories per person per day (kcal/person/day). At country level, it is calculated as the food remaining for human use after deduction of all non-food consumption (exports, animal feed, industrial use, seed and wastage). |
| food insecurity | A situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life. It may be caused by the unavailability of food, insufficient purchasing power, inappropriate distribution, or inadequate use of food at the household level. Food insecurity, poor conditions of health and sanitation, and inappropriate care and feeding practices are the major causes of poor nutritional status. Food insecurity may be chronic, seasonal or transitory. |
| food security | A situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. |
| IAWG | Inter-Agency Working Group. |
| kilocalorie (kcal) | A unit of measurement of energy. One kilocalorie equals 1 000 calories. In the International System of Units (ISU), the universal unit of energy is the joule (J). One kilocalorie = 4.184 kilojoules (kJ). |
| macronutrients | The proteins, carbohydrates and fats that are required by the body in large amounts and, available to be used for energy. They are measured in grams. |
| malnutrition | An abnormal physiological condition caused by deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in energy, protein and/or other nutrients. |
| micronutrients | The vitamins, minerals and certain other substances that are required by the body in small amounts. They are measured in milligrams or micrograms. |
| Millennium Development Goal | The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 189 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. The Millennium Development Goals derive from earlier "international development goals", and were officially established at the Millennium Summit in 2000, where 189 world leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, from which the eight-goal action plan, the "Millennium Development Goals", was particularly promoted. |
| minimum dietary energy requirement | In a specified age/sex category, the amount of dietary energy per person that is considered adequate to meet the energy needs for light activity and good health. For an entire population, the minimum energy requirement is the weighted average of the minimum energy requirements of the different age/sex groups in the population. It is expressed as kilocalories per person per day. |
| NGO | Non Govermental Organisation. |
| nutritional status | The physiological state of an individual that results from the relationship between nutrient intake and requirements and from the body's ability to digest, absorb and use these nutrients. |
| overnourishment | Food intake that is in excess of dietary energy requirements continuously. |
| overweight and obesity | Body weight that is above normal as a result of an excessive accumulation of fat. It is usually a manifestation of overnourishment. Overweight is defined here as BMI >25-30 and obesity as BMI >30. |
| small area estimation | Technique that projects estimated parameters from welfare analysis of survey data at higher levels of desegregation (communities or neighbourhoods) usually by employing census data |
| stunting | Low height for age, reflecting a sustained past episode or episodes of undernutrition. |
| undernourishment | Food intake that is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. |
| undernutrition | The result of undernourishment, poor absorption and/or poor biological use of nutrients consumed. |
| underweight | Low weight for age in children, and BMI >18.5 in adults, reflecting a current condition resulting from inadequate food intake, past episodes of undernutrition or poor health conditions. |
| vulnerability | The presence of factors that place people at risk of becoming food insecure or malnourished, including those factors that affect their ability to cope. |
| vulnerable group | A group of people with common characteristics, a high proportion of whom are food-insecure or at risk of becoming food-insecure. |
| wasting | Low weight for height, generally the result of weight loss associated with a recent period of starvation or disease. |
| Glossary V2.0 | |
