This article is a great intro to malnutrition and what it does to the body. Highlights:
"Every six seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes"
"Under-nourishment occurs when people don't take in enough calories to provide them with the energy just to meet their minimum physiological needs. Malnutrition is more of a measure of what people eat, versus how much. Malnourishment occurs when people don't get the levels of protein, micronutrients (such as vitamins) or other critical components in their food, according to the WFP.
Malnutrition can have serious effects on the body:
- Chronic malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
- It can also cause children to be underweight for their age.
- An acute case can cause wasting, or severe weight loss.
- It can cause deficiency in key vitamins and minerals, such as anemia, or iron deficiency.
- The weight problems and deficiencies can increase susceptibility to disease.
- Malnutrition can become a secondary issue when the body can't take up the nutrients in food because of diarrhea or other illnesses.
Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals exact their own toll on the human body:
Iron deficiency, the most common form of malnutrition, affects billions worldwide. It can impede brain development.
- Vitamin A deficiency affects 140 million pre-school children in 118 countries. It is the leading cause of child blindness and can make people more susceptible to diseases. It kills one million infants a year, according to UNICEF.
- Iodine deficiency affects 780 million people worldwide. Babies born to iodine-deficient mothers can have mental impairments.
- Zinc deficiency results in about 800,000 child deaths a year. It weakens the immune systems of young children. "
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