Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the reasons for undernutrition amongst children in the UK.
The reasons for ‘undernutrition’, which is more generally referred to as malnutrition, are varied and complex. ‘Undernutrition’ amongst children can be both a cause and a consequence of ill health and may be linked to clinical, social and economic factors. It may develop as a result of limited access to food, a disorder or disease that results in a poor appetite, makes eating or absorbing food difficult or results in a greatly increased requirement for energy and nutrients.