Malnutrition Is An Epidemic Caused By Malnutrition

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

Redina and her family are refugees fleeing from ongoing conflict in their settlements. Unable to receive an adequate diet, they remain in a state of constant hunger, and prone to diseases. These are only a two of the effects malnutrition has on the human body. Malnutrition has been a lingering issue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) causing several issues to the economy, health and wellbeing of the country. In spite of modern technology and conveniences, there are still populations in the world that are affected by malnutrition, therefore more worldwide collaborative efforts should be made, not only between the local groups, but the cooperative effort of international communities.

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

Most of the world’s hunger and malnutrition is located in poverty stricken areas. In fact, ninety-eight percent of food deprivation is in developing countries. One of the leading reasons to this, is the high level of poverty in these areas. People living in poverty often don’t have enough money to afford food, and when they do, it generally doesn’t have enough nutrition to keep a human body running properly. On average, 896 million people in developing countries live on fourteen dollars or less a week. This income prevents people from being able to purchase food, causing malnutrition. Hunger is the main devastation of poverty and “is often called the most severe and critical manifestation of poverty”, mainly due to low the low income of most

Starvation is a global concern that affects millions of children every day. It is also the top cause of death for children under the age of four, it takes the lives of more than 3.5 million children every year. Furthermore, without a treatment,

References Shashidhar, H. (2016, March 10). Malnutrition. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from

“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.”

Malnutrition causes nearly half of all deaths in children under five. (Food Aid Foundation.) Millions of children, gone, into thin air. As if they never existed. Millions of stories, millions of futures, all dead, uncared for. More than 795 million people do not have access to enough food to live a healthy lifestyle. (Food Aid Foundation.) Potential scientists, doctors, and musicians will never be able to achieve their goals because they can’t even obtain food. In Haiti, a small central-american country, one out of every three children lose the ability to grow because of malnourishment (Naq, Oishimaya Sen.). The severity of malnourishment in Haiti causes Haitian children to acquire many terminal diseases and blood deficiencies (Naq, Oishimaya

Due to the unrest in Somalia, many children are malnourished because they are deprived of a balance diet.

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

Food insecurity in children have severe impacts to their growth and development. Moreover, nutritious food is critical for a child's physical and psychological development. Without nutritious food kids can develop obesity, abnormalities related to the deficiencies, and compromised immune systems. Therefore, they can have poorer academic outcomes, chronic conditions, hyperactivity, and inattention. Nurses will be one of the first to observe the impacts of child poverty on the children they care

Malnutrition continues to be a major health burden throughout the developing world, especially in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Each form of malnutrition depends on what nutrients are missing in the diet, for how long and at what age. The most basic kind results from a deficiency in all major macronutrients, such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates, called protein-energy malnutrition. Other forms of malnutrition are less obvious, but not necessarily less deadly. They are usually the result of a diet lacking in micronutrients, such as electrolytes, minerals and vitamins. Deficiencies of iron, vitamin A and zinc are ranked among the World Health Organization's top 10 leading causes of death through disease in developing countries. (WFP,

Malnutrition continues to be ever-present, leaving many communities relying on aid. Population grows, but food production cannot keep up with the demand as there is no adequate development in agriculture. Fig. 3 shows that while there has been a population growth of more than 20 million in Ethiopia between 1992 and 2009, the number of malnourished people had decreased only by little.

The damage from starvation causes children to not be able to develop fully. About 600 million children in the world have to survive on less than a U.S dollar each day. Poverty and hunger affect children the most. According to an organization named UNICEF, “While a severe lack of goods and services hurts every human, it is most threatening to children’s rights: survival, health and nutrition, education, participation, and protection from harm and exploitation. It creates an environment that is damaging to children’s development in every way – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.” Malnourishment causes more than half of the deaths of children under five. Unfortunately, over a billion children in the world are critically malnourished and denied of one or more of their basic living needs. The second that they are involved in a famine, their entire lives are changed. Hunger is a significant factor in numerous child deaths. The children who may have grown up to become remarkable scientists or governors or even perhaps the next president succumb to world hunger. Famines consume the lives of those who could have blossomed and contributed greatly to society. In this perspective, their lives don’t only cause sorrow to their families and loved ones, but something that may alter the fate of the

Malnutrition is a serious health concern for people that are residing in Haiti, especially the children. Malnutrition has a serious effect on the body, “children [that] suffer from acute malnutrition are at a great risk for severe morbidity and mortality” (Roller, Gray, Previl, Forrest, 2014, p. 1094). There is no reason for these children to be suffering from malnutrition when there is such a simple solution to fix malnutrition. According to UNICEF the percent of children that are underweight and is considered moderate to severe is 11.4