Global warming may increase undernutrition through the effects of heat exposure on people, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Yuming Guo of Monash University, Australia, and colleagues. It has been well documented that global warming will indirectly result in more undernourished people through threatening crop production in the long term. A new study in Brazil found that for every 1°C increase in daily mean temperature during the hot season, there was a 2.5% increase in undernutrition hospitalization (OR=1.025, 95% CI 1.020-1.030, p<0.001). People under age 19 years or over age 80 years with undernutrition were the most vulnerable to heat exposure. The possible pathways of this direct impact of heat might include reducing undernourished people's food intake, impairing their digestion and absorption function, and causing fluid and electrolyte disturbances.
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1002950
— source sciencedaily.com | Oct 29, 2019