Many
people in developing countries do not consume enough nutrients in their
diets. Only recently has attention been
given to the damages malnutrition causes.
It is easy to see wasted limbs from famine or the effects of obesity,
but the ravages of inadequate nutrition cannot be seen by the naked eye. The lack of nutrients such as vitamin A,
iron, and iodine leads to poor growth and a low immune system. Malnutrition is associated with a third of
children’s deaths and is the single most important risk factor in many
diseases. On the other hand malnutrition
can lead to obesity later on in life. In
the womb and during the first few years of life the body adjust to a poor diet
by keeping whatever it can as fat for energy, creating this life long
metabolism. This explains the astonishing
obesity rates in countries that have switched from poor to middle-income
status, such as Mexico. Providing
micronutrients, such as vitamins is relatively cheap and effective, but lack of
awareness of the problem has lead to slow progress. In developing countries “hidden hunger” is
hidden from the victims themselves. If
everyone is malnourished it is seen as the norm and there is no pressure for
change. This can also explain why poor
ill fed people would rather spend money extra on something like a television
instead of on food. Educating people can
help change their attitudes, but it is unrealistic to expect people not to
indulge in such things even when they know it is not the best decision. José Graziano the new president of the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is looking at new ways to
combat the problem of malnutrition by putting more infuses on providing
micro-nutrients instead of on calorie filling food. The World Bank is also increasing awareness
with a book called “Repositioning Nutrition as Central to
Development”. Governments worldwide as
well as charities, such as Save the Children, are working on increasing
awareness to provide nutrients to the impoverished.
Increasing
awareness of the effects of proper nutrition is important because most people
do not understand that a diet without essential nutrients leads to underdevelopment. Without the right vitamins, amount of
calcium, iron, ect a baby can not develop mentally or physically. Without these nutrients in adults a low
immune system will cause them to be much more highly susceptible to
disease. This is a big deal in
developing countries where they already lack proper vaccination. The issue of world hunger has been very
prominent for many years, but just providing high calorie food to fill hunger
will not provide the proper nutrients needed for a healthy person. Mr. Graziano has the right idea in wanting to
provide micro-nutrient rich food, such as bananas, instead of just food fillers. Since the issue of malnutrition has just
recently begun to gain awareness it will take a while for change to occur on
how to resolve the issue. Private-public
foundations, like the FAO, need to work together with world government leaders
to come up with the best way to fight hunger on a more effective scale. The more effective scale is to provide hunger
stricken countries with food that gives their bodies the proper nutrients that
it needs. It was stated at a recent FAO conference
“at the moment nutritionists are in a position similar to environmentalists in
the 1990s.” If the realization of the
importance of nutrition is like raising awareness for the environment in the 90’s
it will start off with a lot of opposition and neglect from many, until
increased studies can show society the damaging effects of malnutrition. The push for awareness needs to continue in
order to make a change for the better in fighting world hunger.
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