Another huge tragedy beyond death is that even the kids who survive don't physically or mentally fully develop. The height loss is called stunting. The mental loss is the biggest part of it in kids who, who can't even draw a circle when in the west we'd expect them to be reading and know the alphabet.

For most of us drawing a circle is pretty easy, but if you don't get enough nutritious food as a young child, you may not be able to complete even that simple task. Without enough to eat your body and brain don't develop as they should. More than 1 in 4 children in the world suffers from this condition. They're stunted. They didn't get the energy they needed to grow.

The impact is lifelong.

Stunted children are more likely to get sick, struggle in school, and live in poverty. And countries with high levels of stunting are more likely to stay trapped in poverty. 

But we have solutions to reduce this problem. By ensuring that pregnant women and their children get the right nutritious food during the first 1000 days of life, by fortifying flour, cooking oil, salt and other foods with essential vitamins and by helping poor farmers grow more food and earn more income. We can make incredible progress against hunger and malnutrition.

And if the kids are developing physically and mentally then the country can support itself, then it's productivity goes up. Whether it's farming or going into the city and then you get out of the poverty trap.

"Draw a circle" no child should suffer from the misery of stunting. All children deserve a healthy start to life and the chance to realize their potential.