MALNUTRITION

THE HIDDEN HUNGER

Norwin Montesa

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

A Definition of
The Malnutrition
Condition
hat if I told you that although many
W
Americans are obese many are often
,

malnourished and share similar food intake

problems like the rest of the world? Malnutrition
epidemics occur all around the world where
many communities are being affected and are
often uninformed to what they need in their diets,
but what is malnutrition really? Malnutrition is a
disease that happens when a person is not
receiving enough nutrients necessary for their
body to maintain health. This definition sounds so
simple but in reality, it is quite difficult to solve
because receiving enough calories is no longer a
solution to this problem. The symptoms and
solutions of malnutrition are often ignored but it is
important to spread these ideas and help our
community because malnutrition has become
the ignored epidemic that is not acknowledged
enough and continues to be a problem to this day.

Malnu-what?
Malnutrition epidemics occur because communities are not being informed that everyone must

receive their required nutrients to grow and stay healthy. One study shows that, With hidden hunger,
officially known as micronutrient deficiency, people eat enough calories, but fail to get essential
nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. (Bush and Welsh, 2015) This means that even when youve
had enough food to satisfy yourself, often times you havent satisfied your nutrient intake. In addition,
this type of unawareness to nutrient deficiency is why malnutrition epidemics are occurring more in
the world. According to another source, Even where there is enough food, people do not seem
healthier. On top of 1 billion without enough calories, another 1 billion are malnourished in the sense
that they lack micronutrients (this is often called hidden hunger). This can be seen as quite absurd
because we believe that most people that have access to food should not be malnourished but it is a
hidden hunger that we do not realize. Furthermore, the fact that 1 billion are malnourished and most
people are often unaware is quite concerning because YOU could be a part of this hidden hunger
epidemic but be unaware of it. Thus, what we should realize is that malnutrition is a problem that we
must face and truly understand.

How Does
Malnutrition
Occur?
M

alnutrition is the lack of proper nutrient intake, 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. One of the main causes of
malnutrition is our system of agriculture; one interesting study says,
Flavio Valente, who represented civil society organisations at ICN2,
remarked that "the current hegemonic food system and agro-industrial
production model are not only unable to respond to the existing
malnutrition problems but have contributed to the creation of different
forms of malnutrition and the decrease of the diversity and quality of our
diets." (Gloria Schiavi, 2014.) This means that our agricultural industry is
not addressing the problems of malnutrition and even contributing to
the malnutrition epidemic. Furthermore, with the dominance of major
agricultural companies, this makes it difficult to change the current
methods of our diets. According to another source, Many people are
unable to buy healthy eating habits. --- Vitamin deficiencies and
deficiencies in Omega -3 and other lipids cost billions in healthcare in
the US alone.; among those with low and middle incomes, who have
limited access to or simply cant afford the extra cost of essential
nutrition. (Bush and Welsh, 2015) This gives us a view on how income
correlates to how malnutrition occurs. The ignorant belief that everyone
should have enough nutrients in their diets but prices for these vitamins
excel the buying capacity of many low income families creates an
unfairness in having the opportunity to receive nutrients. Our
unchanging habits in our agricultural companies to create better
nutrient-filled foods causes malnutrition epidemics to spread as well as
the inability to provide these nutrients at low costs as a majority of the
population live on a low income.

The Global Effects

M alnutrition epidemics affect global communities because the need for

food and nutrients is a need for any person and community. It is quite more
radical for third-world countries as this source states, In poor countries such as
Africa, natural disasters can contribute to malnutrition because it makes it
harder for the people to receive the food that they need. (TeensHealth, N.D.)
This describes why Africa is such a malnourished continent and the lack of
nutrients in their diets has caused more struggle in having a standard living
condition. Furthermore, there is the fact that distributing enough resources to
countries that need it are not given enough attention to, as more
malnourished countries require more attention. One way that malnutrition
affects local communities is, About 85% of Americans do not consume the
US Food and Drug Administrations recommended daily intakes (Bush and
Welsh, 2015) This ignorance of malnutrition in communities has caused even
places such as America to be affected by malnutrition epidemics. With
malnutrition affecting the citizens, the U.S. is required to take care of more
unhealthy people causing a rise in spending towards health care. Through
the effects of malnutrition, wealthy and poverted countries alike face
detrimental problems which is why malnutrition epidemics are such
universal problems for any place.

Impact On Our Health

To identify malnutrition there are many symptoms but these symptoms
,

are not why malnutrition has become such a problem, it is because of the
long term effects that follow. One source states, ...Roger Irving Lee Professor of
Public Health, said nutrition sits amid three major problems of global health:
the unfinished agenda of reducing malnutrition and infectious disease, the
growth of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes (many of which
have a dietary component) in developing nations, and globalization issues,
where not only information and manufactured goods are exchanged, but
also dietary habits and fast foods. (Alvin Powell, 2011.) This shows how
malnutrition makes us more susceptible to diseases due to dietary habits. It
also gives us insight on the effects that malnutrition brings to us indirectly.
Another article stated, More than 160m children in developing countries
suffer from a lack of vitamin A; 1m die because they have weak immune
systems and 500,000 go blind each year. Iron deficiency causes anaemia,
which affects almost half of poor-country children and over 500m women,
killing more than 60,000 of them each year in pregnancy. Iodine deficiency
easily cured by adding the stuff to saltcauses 18m babies each year to be
born with mental impairments. (The Economist Newspaper, 2012) These
small nutrient deficiencies lead to long term or fatal effects which should be
more than enough to consider malnutrition as a serious condition. Due to the
fact that more than millions have died from malnutrition, we see how fatal
malnutrition can be. Thus, we should always consider malnutrition epidemics
a serious matter as having long-term malnourished effects create detrimental
futures for our society and our health.

Current Solutions
The malnutrition epidemics around the world can be solved through the

acknowledgement that it is a problem that takes high priority and cannot be

ignored. People believe that just eating enough will cure malnutrition but one
source states, Nutrient needs could only be met if individuals consumed
27,575 calories worth of food each day. (Rick Tague, M.D., M.P.H. & T.M., 2013.)
This shows how impossible obtaining nutrients would be just through
calories. The daily diet of a human is 2,000 calories and eating 27,575 calories
would be unimaginable! The only simple method for curing malnutrition
epidemics is for people to realize that being full or having something to eat
will not solve malnutrition, the best way is to provide the specific nutrients
needed for growing children and adults. One statement says, ...studies show
that children who take multivitamins regularly or eat fortified foods are least
likely to suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. (Bush and Welsh, 2015) This
has become one of the most simple but effective methods in treating
children and even adults because it provides us directly with the vitamins we
need. It is better to eat food that concentrates on vitamins because it helps
maintain the body from becoming malnourished. Overall, understanding
that malnutrition is a problem caused from direct deprivation of nutrients is
the first step in seeing that lack of calories and lack of nutrients are completely
different problems but are very connected but we should focus on obtaining
our needed nutrients, not our food intake to cure malnutrition.

New Solutions
There are many solutions to malnutrition but it requires being diligent in

maintaining a good diet. In the studies that I have found, it can be easily said
that malnutrition can be solved by increasing nutrient intake but it is much
more difficult than it sounds. Many poverted areas around the world cannot
even maintain a healthy food intake so obtaining enough nutrients is nearly
impossible. One method we could apply around the world is distributing our
food equally if we began addressing this problem as something everyone
should acknowledge would bring awareness to supplying more food to
others. Another solution could be bringing awareness to buying foods rich in
nutrients and persuade people to buy healthier food. This can be done by
advertising or sharing knowledge about nutrient intake to the public. If
people were truly aware of their needs for nutrients, malnutrition would no
longer be hidden. Thus, increasing nutrient intake and knowledge of
nutrients would be a great way to help solve malnutrition epidemics.

Change Is In You
Malnutrition has become an epidemic that has affected many areas around the world Although many people can be
.

informed on how to prevent this disease, taking action is what we must do to bring any change. These actions do not have
to be at a world scale; the resolve of changing or improving your diet and bringing awareness to others is more than
enough. An overweight, tired, depressed, sluggish, medication-taking American has become the ideal image of Americas
current malnutrition epidemic. It is quite disappointing because many of us cannot disagree on why we have been given
this stereotype, which is why it should urge us to change ourselves and our community for the better...

What will you feed your future?

APA References Page Info

Bush, B., Welsh, H. (2015). Hidden Hunger: America s growing malnutrition epidemic.
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Tague, R. (2013). Nutrient Deficiency in America: Avoid the Epidemic. Retrieved from
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