Malnutrition As Defined By Groark & Song

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

Malnutrition is a common health problem and is caused by either an inadequate diet or a problem absorbing nutrients from food. There are many reasons why this might happen, including having reduced mobility, a long-term health condition or a low income. The most common symptom of under-nutrition is unplanned weight loss and other signs could be weak muscles, feeling tired all the time, low mood and an increase in illnesses or infections. The main sign of over-nutrition is being overweight or obese. However, people with under-nutrition can also be overweight if they eat a diet high in energy (calories), but low in other nutrients. Signs of malnutrition in children can include failure to grow at the expected rate and changes in behaviour such as appearing unusually irritable, sluggish or anxious

Children in need of these nutrients can suffer from stunted growth never reaching potential height. Statistics have shown stunted growth children score significantly lower on intelligence tests than do normal children. Hunger interferes with physical, emotional and academic development. According to Freedom from Hunger, “more than 4 million children will die due to hunger related causes.” NASW(2016) shows an important connection food security and nutrition play in physical and mental health.

Studies have shown that hunger affects children's cognitive ability, their ability to fight off infection, and their ability to learn. Iron deficiency, which comes from lack of nutrient-rich food, has been shown to cause a shortened attention span, fatigue, decreased concentration levels, and irritability. All of this affects children's behavior, at school and at home. These negative effects of hunger can and will cause children to fall behind in their classes, whether it may be from sickness or getting in trouble. Hunger doesn't just tamper with children's behavior in short term ways, it also affects children in the long term, with permanent IQ loss, higher odds of having health problems later in life, and many other problems. The aspect of hunger also affects unborn babies. When expecting mothers don't get adequate nutrient intake, it increases the chance of their babies being born with low birth weights. Low birth weight babies are more likely than regular birth weight babies to have visual, auditory, and learning problems. Hunger negatively affects children of all

Like any country, there are a variety of health concerns. About 50 percent of the children are malnourished-phsycially and mentally. When people experience malnourishment, often times it can stunt people’s growth as such a young age. Some illnesses are heart disease, kidney damage, and anemia, which can lead into adulthood.

The lack of growth and development begin to occur when the body does not take in enough calcium. Calcium is very important part for the body to function because it has the function to keep bones strong and without calcium the bones will become weak and break easily. Also, it will lead to stunted growth in the body and the person will not be able to grow properly. In addition, malnutrition can occur when children or the poor community does not get enough to eat and is requiring the need of nutritions and other minerals. Suffering from malnutrition will cause extensive amount of disease to manifest in the human body. Also, it will be harder for the body to fight off disease and people will become more vulnerable to catching different type of diseases. Pedro A Sanchez stated, “The death rate from diseases such as lower respiratory infection, malaria, and measles…Undernourished people infected with HIV/AIDS develop the full symptoms” (1). The poor population is longing for the access to healthy food in order to prevent terrible disease like this from occurring. It is very hard to treat and prevent these different variety of disease from happening without having the money to get the proper care and medical attention.

Some people might just not eat lunch, or eat less than they should, and that will cause malnutrition. They won't be ingesting the proper amount of food, which could affect many things, including their learning. It could affect them being focused, or lower their energy. This might even end up with them having lower grades.

Malnutrition affects children because it causes lifelong mental impairments and stunts physical growth. IQ of children who

World hunger.org states that about 45% of childrens deaths in 2011 was due to hunger or sickness caused by malnourishment. Being malnourished may cause you to lose weight, become depressed or fatigue, and can make you more likely to get a disease. According to Livestrong.com, it is critical for a children to get as much food as needed during their toddler years. A person's body and brain develop the most in their early stages of life. If a toddler does not eat enough food, it may cause their body to limit complex brain activities which can lead to learning disabilities. A child's body will eventually shut down if they don’t receive a sufficient amount of vitamins or food. Food is a big part of everyone's daily life. If adults don’t eat the proper amount of food, they will become tired, unfocused, and may result in being too hungry and weak to work. Without working, a parent can not make money and without money parents can’t support their

Nutritional deficits can cause many neurodevelopmental disorders including spina bifida, anencephaly etc. Both of these disorders are the effect of malnutrition. The cause which is common is the deficiency (maternal) of folic acid, is a vitamin B usually found actively in vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Another deficiency is iodine deficiency which produces numerous neurodevelopmental disorders from lesser emotional disturbances to harsh mental

Clear associations between nutritional deficiencies and psychosocial effects have been made. However, the results of the study indicated malnutrition impact on development of infants and toddlers was unknown, but malnutrition in children led to iron-deficiency anemia (Skalicky et al., 2006).

Malnutrition is a condition in which a person is not getting the right amount of nutrients that they need to remain healthy. It can range from being mild to being detrimental to both physical and mental health. It can occur because a person is not eating a diet that provides enough nutrients the body needs, or the person is not absorbing the nutrients that the body is receiving. Even lacking one vitamin from your diet is considered malnutrition. Malnutrition can also be a result of Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, or persistent diarrhea or vomiting. Having anorexia is also a cause of malnutrition because of the restrictive calorie intake. Drug addiction or being an alcoholic can affect the body’s ability to absorb the nutrients which will cause malnutrition as well. It is possible to be obese and have malnutrition if they are not getting enough nutrients from all the food they take in.

Why is proper nutrition important? There are approximately 7 billion people in the world, and approximately 460 million (15%) of the world’s population are malnourished. According to the textbook Exploring Lifespan Development by Laura E. Berk, about 27 percent of the world’s children suffer from malnutrition before age 5 (World Health Organization, 2010). Toddler nutrition is important because it can impact the child’s development for the rest of the child’s life. During the first couple of years of life, the child uses a lot of energy and calories as their bodies grow and develop exponentially. Good nutrition is also essential because during the first three years, the brain develops intensively from 25 percent of its adulthood size to about 80 percent of its full size (Schram). Poor nutrition can have an adverse effect, either short-term, or long-term effects on the child’s development.

Malnutrition is the imbalance of body nutrients, energy and protein, which cause negative impacts on the body and its functions. Imbalances can mean levels exceed bodily requirements (overnutrition), leading to conditions like obesity and vitamin overdose effects. Malnutrition also refers to insufficient intake (undernutrition), which can cause conditions such as anaemia.

These deficiencies are the result of malnourishment can have detrimental effects on one’s health. Children are the most likely to suffer from malnutrition and it causes “nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year.” These nutritional and health problems that occur because of food inequality are only set to worsen because of the rising worry of food insecurity due to environmental problems.