Women and nutrition in the Americas: problems and perspectives.

The authors describe and discuss womens nutrition and nutritional problems which are especially important for women as they go through various stages of their lives. They consider related differences between the sexes their meaning their causes and the possible implications they may have for the design of interventions to improve the nutritional status of women. The first section discusses protein and energy malnutrition in childhood in terms of birthweight nutritional status in childhood overall malnutrition severe malnutrition chronic malnutrition and gender feeding and health care. A section on the nutritional status of adult women is followed by an examination of nutritional problems of special concern for women such as iron-deficiency anemia iodine-deficiency disorders vitamin A deficiency osteoporosis and malnutrition in old age. A section on the nutritional status of pregnant women is then followed by concluding remarks and recommendations.