Increasing Rates of Child Malnutrition in India Essay

Despite the vast research on nutrition and health, malnutrition is still a major fatality in this present day. Policymakers, social scientist and medical experts have expressed alarm about the growing problem. While most agree that the issue deserves attention, consensus dissolves around how to respond and resolve the problem. Malnourishment continues to be a primary health liability in developing nations such as Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. It is globally the most significant risk factor for illness and death, predominantly with hundreds of millions of pregnant women

UNICEF stated that, “India, almost half of children younger than five years are stunted, a manifestation of chronic undernutrition. Stunting and other forms of under-nutrition are thought to be responsible for nearly half of all child deaths globally.” Children who are stunting they are facing under developed brain with many long term damaging consequences, as well as mental abilities and learning skills and can cause many problems for their future (UNICEF). Even though the economy in India has developed, the number of the children under the age of five have still been being stunted. According to UNICEF, “48 per cent or 54 million children under-five years in India are stunted. Stunting (inadequate length/height for age) reflects cumulative

Malnutrition is a problem that is estimated to contribute to more than one third of death among children (WHO, 2014). Under nutrition is a form of malnutrition; it occurs when nutritional reserves are exhausted or nutritional intake is insufficient to satisfy daily needs or increased metabolic demands (Jarvis, 2013, p. 175). Prolonged periods in this state can lead to stunted growth which is associated with lower

“What does malnutrition look like? Most of us think of bloated bellies or skin and bones, but the appearance of a hungry child might surprise you. Internationally hunger often stunts growth. Imagine a 9-year-old who appears to be only 5” (“Feed the Children.” Feed). Almost 1 billion kids worldwide live in poverty and 1 in 4 children around the world suffer from malnutrition that stunts growth (“Feed the Children.” Give). This is a very big problem not only in America but everywhere else, malnutrition is the cause of almost half of child deaths each year around the world (“Feed the Children.” Give). It is close to impossible for a malnourished child to recover from diarrhea or to fight off a small illness because their immune system is just simply too weak (“Feed the Children.”

Political turmoil in the United States is difficult to keep up with; however, it is important to pay attention to foreign affairs as well. In the country of Guatemala fifty percent of children under the age of five are severely malnourished, the fourth highest rate of malnutrition in the world. Malnutrition is defined as the lack of proper nutrition, cause by not having enough to eat, causing failure to thrive. Americans need to work together to stop the detrimental effects of malnutrition by focusing on the agricultural, government involvement, and education. By looking at the food created in Guatemala, we can see how these children get their energy.

The issue is to a point where, “incidence of child malnutrition reaches 80%,” over half of the population of this country's children are not getting the proper nutrients to sustain their growing bodies (Economist 1). The incredibly high number is likely due to the high cost of importing food into the country, causing many families to live off the local food products in their cities. In a case study in Antigua, Guatemala, a mother tells reporters she, “could not afford formula so she gave her sugar water,” a substance that will fill the child’s belly but leave her without the vital nutrient her body needs (Gowen). A small child cannot eat the large food provided by the United States government, and still require the protein found in baby formula. Without a reliable source of food, malnutrition will continue to appear in the children of the region. The regional spikes in the rate of malnutrition are incredibly difficult to

A large problem of childhood poverty is malnutrition. Since these children are growing up in poverty, many of the parents have a hard time supplying food for their kids. Surprisingly, there

Malnutrition is defined as a lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat. This is another environmental factor in which children of poor families are at a great disadvantage due to the fact that it tends to occur most in those confronting the adverse socioeconomic and environmental conditions typically associated with poverty. It has become widely known that malnutrition may lead to increased early child mortality, impairment of physical growth and substantial destruction to brain development. In addition, the short-term implications of malnutrition lead to long term complications and cognitive delays such as attention deficit disorder, impaired school performance, decreased IQ scores, memory deficiency, learning disabilities, reduced social skills, reduced language development, and reduced problem-solving abilities. It has even been argued that nutrition may be the single greatest environmental influence on babies in the womb, during infancy, and throughout the first years of life.

Children from under developed countries often suffer with malnutrition, which plays a major role in inhibiting their growth and development progress.

Childhood and adolescence are expected to be the times of great functioning and physical health, yet poverty provokes this from occurring and children face poor health. Children living in poverty are at immense risk for their development, health and overall well-being. According to Komro, 2011, the absolute rate of poverty among children is higher in the United States than in other industrialized nations. Nationally, One in five children are living in poverty (Raphel, 2014). Malnourishment is one of the numerous outcomes from poverty; children are suffering each day in America with this threat to their health. Malnourishment is a result of either not having sufficient nutrients in their diet or having it excessively that it causes health problems.

Malnutrition is a growing problem in the world. According to Medical News Today, malnutrition can include many things such as undernutrition and even overnutrition. Undernutrition can include not getting enough nutrients and calories in the diet, which can diminish a person’s growth and ability to fight off diseases. Overnutrition is the opposite where too many calories are consumed leading to an imbalance of nutrients in the diet and can also cause some health effects such as obesity. If certain nutrients are missing in the diet or if too many nutrients are in the diet, it can affect nutrition and how the body functions.

Malnutrition is when the body doesn’t receive enough nutrients for proper function. Undernutrition is when one’s body could be underweight, too short for their age, or excessively thin and “receiving fewer calories than the minimum dietary energy requirement” (Withcott & Laposata, 2012). Overnutrition is a form of malnutrition but comes from eating too much, eating junk, lack of physical activities or just eating the wrong foods and the intake too many supplements. “Overnutrition leads to unhealthy weight gain, which leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems” (Withcott & Laposata, 2012). One is of the opinion that overnutrition is the most common in the United States. In our textbook by Withcott & Laposata, in the

Food is an essential part of our health and what we choose consume can affect our lifestyle. Human beings have a cycle, which includes eating, sleeping and reproducing. Out of all the elements of the cycle, eating is the most important but also the most expensive to maintain. Living in poverty and not having enough income to purchase food can be devastating to a family and their health. The children’s health is affected the most because in early childhood, it is important that a child has adequate nutrition to ensure healthy growth, a strong immune system and cognitive development. Proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of a child. Not having a sufficient amount or the right kinds of food at a

Food will always be one of the most important things in your life. Every living thing on the face of the earth needs nutrition to survive, grow, and reproduce. Unfortunately, about 795 million people in the world do not have enough to eat. This number represents about 1 in 9 people on the planet and is much higher in developing countries where 13% of the population is malnourished. Malnutrition or malnourishment is a condition that results from a diet in which there are not enough nutrients or there are so many that the diet causes health problems. A malnourished persons body has difficulty doing normal things like growing and fighting illnesses. Two billion people in the world suffer from various forms of malnutrition. The most basic kind is called protein energy malnutrition. This includes low height and weight and a lack of nutrients that help the body to function properly. Another common group is overweight, obesity, and diet related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. When people refer to world hunger, they are talking about undernutrition. One of the places most affected by this is Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa, the area of the African continent that lies south of the Sahara Desert, has the highest level of food insecurity in the world.

The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as "the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions(4).