Malnutrition afflicts 3 out of 10 pre-schoolers

Three out of 10 Filipino pre-schoolers until the age of five are malnourished or underweight, a nationwide survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed.

The survey, done last year, also found that a small percentage of these children are stunted or have experienced past growth failure, while "wasting" (actual weight loss or recent malnutrition) afflicts six percent.

In actual numbers, the FNRI said about 3.7 million pre-school children are underweight, 3.8 million are stunted, and 700,000 are "wasted."

Prevalence of underweight, the survey showed, was lowest — 11.9 percent — in children less than a year old, but increased threefold in the one to three age group.

Indices on weight-for-age and weight-for-height were used in the survey. — Rainier Allan Ronda