Malnutrition

A malnourished child.Photo by Graeme Dott

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMAccording to the World Food Program (WFP), “today, one in nearly seven people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life, making hunger and malnutrition the number one risk to health world-wide.”i Natural disasters, war, and many other factors leave much of the world hungry. It is the goal of the World Food Program to help the neediest people live healthy and happy lives.

One aspect of malnutrition is not getting enough food with proper nutrition. Without the proper micronutrients, the body will not function properly. For example, if a person is vitamin A deficient, they can go blind. A diet that lacks iodine can result in brain damage and other problems, particularly in children. These micronutrients1

can be found in a diverse and balanced diet.

Malnutrition also lowers the body’s ability to fight off sicknesses. This is a very big problem, especially in countries where there is no infrastructure2 in place to care for the sick. Oftentimes people have to travel great distances to find a medical facility, only to find out that it does not have the necessary supplies.

DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEMVULNERABLE POPULATIONS

The inability to access and pay for adequate amounts of healthy food affects many different populations; however, the most vulnerable populations are children, adolescents, sufferers of chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, the elderly and pregnant women. People suffering from HIV/AIDS often have unique nutritional needs which cannot always be met, while young children can experience long-term developmental problems if they do not receive proper nutrients. Proper nutrition for pregnant women is important for both the mother, and the proper development of the child.ii All of these populations require proper nutrition which is not available in a food insecure area.

1 Micronutrients: substance essential for normal growth and development

2 Infrastructure: basic framework of a society, including roads, hospitals, schools, etc.

POVERTY CYCLEStarvation and food insecurity is linked to a seemingly endless cycle of poverty. When basic food needs aren’t fulfilled, it becomes nearly impossible to think about doing anything else in life, such as get an education or fight off disease. This is because the human body solely focuses on getting its basic needs before it can start to perform complex thoughts. When someone cannot make complex thoughts, they are not able to get an education. This lack of education lessens the person’s ability to find a good job and make money. However, when people are not hungry, they are able to think about other important aspects of life. When they are able to make complex thoughts, they are able to get an education and advance their knowledge and income.

POPULATION GROWTHIn the last hundred years, the global population has exploded, growing from approximately 1.65 billion to more than 6.7 billion peopleiii. This rate of growth has put enormous pressure on global resources and has occurred at a far higher rate in developing regions than developed regionsiv. Increases in population require increased food production; in most countries, the systems of infrastructure and agriculture have often been unable to keep up with the pressure put on them by this rapid population growth.

PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTIONSOnly in recent history have we even considered it an obligation to protect the world’s most needy and hungry people. Over the last 60 years, the international community has come together to help the less fortunate. The World Food Programme’s (WFP) most successful programs offered is called Food for Education and Training (FFE/FFT). When a student (adult or child) comes to school, they are given foodv. This encourages individuals and families to support education and training; since education is critical to improving food security, this can be an effective mechanism for developing sustainabilityvi. It also recognizes the importance of diet in helping people be ready and able to learnvii.

The World Food Program was originally established to send food surpluses that resulted from an agricultural boom in the developed world, to countries that had starving citizens. Recently, however, the WFP have begun to realize that food resources need to come from within a country or its neighbors so that they can continue to get food resources in a sustainable way.Eighty percent of the World Food Program’s money goes towards funding agricultural development, and the remaining twenty percent goes towards emergency operations. The WFP acknowledges that although there will never be an end to people who need food aid after a natural disaster, the area where they can make the biggest difference is in helping countries get out of cycles of poverty.

Citations and Photo Credits

i http://wfp.org/aboutwfp/introduction/hunger_what.asp?section=1&sub_section=1ii

Executive Boards of UNDP/UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP. “Agenda Item 1: Population Growth and Rapid Urbanization: Food Insecurity on the Rise in Urban Settings.” UNICEF. 23 & 26 Jan. 2009. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. < http://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/B-8713E-JMB_Jan_09_-_population_growth.pdf >.

iii The World at Six Billion, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division: 1999 http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbillion.htm; World Population

Prospects, UN Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs: 2007 http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/English.pdfiv

World Population Prospects, UN Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs: 2007 http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/English.pdfv

Our Work: School Meals, WFP: 2009 http://www.wfp.org/school-mealsvi

Gender and Food Security. FAO http://www.fao.org/Gender/en/educ-e.htmvii

Food for Education, International Food Policy Research Institute http://www.ifpri.org/PUBS/ib/ib4.pdf