Why are West African children underweight?

The incidence of underweight amongst children under five in Western
Africa has been increasing over the last decade (UNICEF, 2002). In
Asia, where about two thirds of the world's underweight children
live, the rate of underweight declined from about 36 per cent to
some 29 per cent between 1990 and 2000. In sub-Saharan Africa, the
absolute number of underweight children has increased and is now
about 36 per cent. Using new data from Demographic and Health
Surveys, I estimate the probability of underweight or a sample of
West African children, controlling for selective survival.