Child Malnutrition 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

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

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.

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

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.

“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.”

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.

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

Hunger is a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food. Hunger can lead to malnutrition. Lack of food in children can result in problems like headaches and obesity. Child Hunger and nutrition is important especially for children because nutrition is an essential so that they can healthy grow.

Around the world, many wealthy nations provide universal health care to their citizens (excluding the USA). Countries like Canada, the UK and France are prime examples. They provide well thought out services to their citizens and ensure them to obtain the health care they require for any medical reason need be. While some countries are grateful, or maybe even take for granted of the health care they receive, undeveloped nations struggle to find the care they need. Health provision is challenging in these countries due to political, economic and environmental conditions. In order for a nation to live within environmental limits, they should ensure they have a strong and healthy society, but in order to obtain such success a sustainable economy plays a key role. Africa is a prime example to use when discussing the environmental causes that affect one 's health. Africa has a widespread list of environmental impacts that considered it unsafe to numerous living standards. Not only unsafe, but the citizens are prone to an abundance of diseases such as Ebola. With a low economy, such as Africa, the finance to provide health care and increase life expectancy does not exist. Hospitals also have trouble finding properly trained and educated staff to be able to take care of all the people requiring medical attention. Geographic 's majorly affects people 's health, but economics is a priority when it comes to health care services. People who do not receive the health care they required

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.

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.

Each child is a unique individual whose heredity and environment shape the course of his or her life. Woven into the daily life are aspects of food and nutrition. What childhood memories of food do you have? Are these memories healthy or unhealthy?

For most us Americans, knowing when we’re going to eat next is something we very rarely think of, and when we do think about being hungry we still know where our food is coming from. Three big meals a day, and a few snacks in between, is how most of us live. It’s hard for us to imagine what its like for those who go days eating very little or nothing at all. But unfortunately that’s how it is for most of the world and surprisingly it happens in the United Sates as well. There are many reasons malnutrition can happen, and it happens to every age group. Even though there are many ways to treat it, in the