Malnutrition : The unconcerned pandemic
- nirmalswasthya
- Sep 23, 2020
- 5 min read
By the time you read this blog approximately 3 children starved because of malnutrition!
Around two billion people in this developing world do not have access to a healthy life. Approximately 815 million people across the globe do not have enough food to eat every day. According to WHO one in every four suffers from some or other kinds of malnutrition. We all are living in an unconcerned pandemic for years. Almost all countries are affected by malnutrition. But two-thirds of the Asian population lives and starve to death because of malnutrition. India and Pakistan are the two main Asian countries that are home to almost half (47.2%) of all stunted children.
But what exactly is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition is a diet-related non-communicable disease. It is a condition where the intake of nutrients in a person's diet is inadequate i.e. either the nutrients are too less or too much than the required amount. A nutrient is a substance present in food that helps in the physical, mental as well as emotional development of a human being. It distributes nourishment to the body for optimal functioning of various cells, tissue, organs, and systems. In simpler words, it is a fuel to the human body.
Malnutrition is not just one term!
The term malnutrition can be categorized into three broad groups of conditions
1. Undernutrition:
Around 47℅ of the children starved just because they don't have enough food to eat. Undernutrition can be well understood with its four broad sub form
● Wasting - low weight for height. It usually indicates a sudden weight loss. Approximately 25.5 million are wasted in India according to a global nutrition report.
● Stunting - low height for age is known as stunting. Around 46 million children in India are stunted because of malnutrition
● Underweight - children with low weight for age are called underweight. The one who is underweight can be wasted as well as stunted or both.
2. Micronutrient related malnutrition:
Vitamins and minerals are referred to as micronutrients. This allows the body to produce more enzymes, hormones, and other substances that facilitate the growth and development Deficiency in vitamin A, iron, and iodine represents a major threat to the health and well-being of the population Worldwide especially in children and low-income countries
3. Overweight and obesity: What comes in your head when you listen to the term malnutrition, a pale and skinny, child with no fat but you need to know this
Obesity and overweight can also be diagnosed as malnourished.
Obesity is often referred to as the mother of non communicable disease. Obesity is when a person weighs more than his height or abnormal fat accumulation.
Obesity and overweight results from an imbalance between energy consumed (high) and energy expended(less).
So how to detect malnutrition?
Here are some common symptoms:
● Lack of appetite
● Irritability
● Lack of concentration
● Depression
● Always feeling chills
● Loss of muscles and fats
● Hair loss
● Prolonged diarrhea
In children symptoms such as
● Growth retardation
● Lack of energy
● Anxiety
● Slow intellectual and behavioral development
What leads to the progress of this nutrient killer?
1.Low consumption of nutrients:
Nowadays our food has become more aesthetic than healthy. Those junk foods we all enjoy are labeled as empty foods with no nutrients. People develop malnutrition either when they don't have food to eat or when they are not able to absorb those essential nutrients. Lack of or inappropriate consumption of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, B, C, D, calcium, zinc, iron, etc. results in weak eye sights, skin and hair problems, bleeding gums, osteoporosis, growth retardation, anemia leading to decreased productivity and impairment of physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing.
Mental Health:
Someone who suffers from depression, dementia, and schizophrenia is at risk of developing malnutrition because they have disturbed eating patterns. Eating Disorders such as anorexia nervosa often leads to severe malnutrition.
Protein Energy Deficiency:
Deficiency of protein in a person's diet leads to severe protein-energy deficiency Kwashiorkor and Marasmus are two types of PE.Marasmus- found more often in babies and young children. It leads to dehydration,weight loss, and starvation. Kwashiorkor - usually seen in children aged 1-4 years. The main sign is edema. Swelling (edema) makes these children appear healthy so the parent may consider them well-nourished. It usually occurs in the area of famine or low-income nations.
So who is at risk for malnutrition?
We all are at risk whether you live in a well-developed nation or in an underdeveloped nation. Every country is affected by one or other form of malnutrition.
Women, infants, children, and adolescents are at higher risk to develop malnutrition. People with an eating disorder such as anorexia Nervosa and bulimia are at higher risk of developing malnutrition
Nutrition on its way to save you from this unconcerned pandemic!
Balanced Diet:-
Consuming a balanced diet with all the healthy nutrients including several multi-vitamins is one way to prevent malnutrition and can also help in getting rid of dental problems, inflammation, edema, weakness, tongue soreness, anemia, fatigue, diarrhea, and bleeding gums.
Now, let’s learn about several nutrients and their food sources which help in prevention as well as cure of malnutrition
Carbohydrates
Eat more complex carbohydrates rather than eating simple carbohydrates: wheat, oats, rice, pasta, and honey.
Proteins
These are required for the synthesis of hormones and enzymes and are also essential for cell formation and enhancing the immune system. Proteins are found in foods such as: legumes, eggs, nuts, oatmeal, grains, wheat, quinoa, peanut butter, canned meat, fish, and popcorn.
Fats –
Fats play a major role in insulating our body organs against shock, maintenance of the body temperature, and healthy functioning of the cells Fats store energy in the body. In addition to this fats also consist of essential fatty acids that prevent many diseases, including malnutrition. The food products that include fats are peanut butter, oil, whole milk, nuts, and seeds.
Fruits and vegetables-
Vitamins and minerals facilitate good health and give protection against infections and many diseases. They also help in body growth, metabolism, and the elimination of waste products. It is advised to take these from dietary sources such as several fruits and vegetables. They also help in malnutrition prevention.
Hydration -
Boost your water intake with 9 glasses per day. Water is the most preferred source of hydration, but there are other sources also which can provide considerable hydration and can be included too, though not as a replacement for water. Other fluids include:
Soup, Tea, Lemonade, Fruit Juices, Smoothies, Coconut water, Sugarcane juice, Milk
Seafood and meats:
Include foods such as salmon, mussels, chicken, eggs, crab, clams, milk which are rich sources vitamin b 12
Sardines, mackerel, egg yolk, soy milk, cows milk contains a good amount of vitamin D, tuna, oysters, trout, crab, herring, salmon is a rich source of fatty acids. Omega 3 also helps intellectual and physical growth.
We all are not facing a new pandemic, malnutrition was alive in our world but we all failed to acknowledge that,
Malnutrition can be prevented by just making small changes in our lifestyle exercise regularly, eat healthy, do not waste food rather give it needy, donate to needy, educate people.
“Malnutrition can be as common in poverty as in wealth, one for the lack of food, the other for the lack of knowledge of food." - T.K. Naliaka
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