The World Health Organization has recently updated the guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in infants and children under 5 years. Apart from differences with regard to the nutritional framework that defines the quantity of energy required as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the outpatient treatment of severe wasting and/or nutritional oedema, there are also important gaps in the practical guidance. Instead of the recommended energy intake of 150-185 kcal/kg/day, our alternative calculations indicate the requirement to be only 105-120 kcal/kg/day. If true, the implementation of such caloric overfeeding can have adverse consequences. Gaps in practical guidance also need to be addressed, including the timing of transition to home-based diets, maximal duration of therapeutic feeding, especially in non-responders (∼50% in South Asia), and the role of augmented home foods as the primary therapeutic food option.

Over the last 2 decades, there has been a great accumulation of new evidence regarding the management of nutritional and metabolic aspects of kidney disease. The 2020 update to the KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD provides a comprehensive up-to-date information on the understanding and care of patients with CKD. It provides updated information on nutritional aspects of kidney disease for the practicing clinician and allied health-care workers. The current manuscript provides an overview of the updated guideline statements on major subjects including nutritional assessment, dietary protein and energy intake, nutritional supplementation, micronutrients, and electrolytes. The guidelines are focused on dietary management rather than all possible nutritional interventions.