Stunting (low height-for-age, reflecting chronic undernutrition) and wasting (low weight-for-height, reflecting acute undernutrition) are the two core anthropometric indicators used to assess child malnutrition, measured against WHO Child Growth Standards, and both are linked to impaired physical and cognitive development when they occur in a child's first 1,000 days. Micronutrient deficiencies -- most commonly iron, vitamin A, and iodine -- cause distinct health problems (anemia, impaired vision and immunity, and impaired brain development respectively) even in children whose overall calorie intake looks adequate, which is why fortification programs (such as iodized salt or vitamin A supplementation campaigns) remain a core public health tool. Many countries, including several in Sub-Saharan Africa, now face a 'double burden' of malnutrition: undernutrition and stunting persist in some populations while overweight and obesity rise in others, sometimes within the same household, driven by shifts toward cheaper, calorie-dense processed foods. Addressing this double burden requires different interventions operating at once -- supplementation and food access programs for undernutrition alongside public education on diet quality for rising obesity -- rather than a single uniform nutrition policy.