Child Malnutrition in the Developing World

By: Roslyn Punt, Agronomy 342

Outline

Introduction to Malnutrition Causes of Malnutrition & Why Effects of Malnutrition Ethics Behind Malnutrition

Child Malnutrition:

Lacking in nutrients causing a body to not meet the daily requirements for the sustainability of health and causing health effects

Cause of over half of the deaths in developing countries in humans the age of five and below

More common in rural communities than urban communities

1970 : 46.5% 1995: 31% 1995: estimated 1/3 of developing countries

children under five years were considered underweight

Issues Causing Malnutrition:

Three levels of determinants in child malnutrition:

Immediate.

Underlying.

Basic.

1 Primary Issue: Poverty

3 Secondary Issues: Food Security Mothers Education, Health, &

Status Environmental Health

Others: Political Environment, Water

Sanitation, Capital Income, Geography, Climate Change, etc.

Discussion:

Poverty: Little Income, Can’t Afford Food Food Security: Little Food Availability

because of Poverty Mothers Status: Little Education due to

Poverty, Poor Health due to a Lack in Health Care, Social Status is low Compared to Men

Environmental Health: Poor Health causes Crop Failure, Reducing Food Security

Effects of Malnutrition

Short in height (4’8”) Cephalopelvic

Disproportion = birthing difficulties

Low body mass index Intrauterine growth

restrictions Severe malnutrition

causes lack of nutrients in breast milk

Underweight Wasting Deterioration Stunted Growth Deficiencies:

Vitamin A: Blindness Zinc: Stunting Iron: Anemia Iodine: Lack of

Mental Development

Mothers: Children:

Morally Acceptable?

The child to the right displays malnutrition. His body has taken to deterioration of the muscles for energy. He holds on to his life by a thread. A simple meal would be a blessing for him.

Equality and Justice Malnourished 3 Year Old

Morally Acceptable?

These two children show the obesity that has overcome many children in the world also. They consume so many extra nutrients their body stores them as fat. Their lives too are in danger as obesity also causes health issues.

Equality and Justice Obese 3 Year Olds

Equality and Justice

Each day over 20,000 children will die from malnutrition.

Over 1/3 of the developing nations children will die due to malnutrition, while 1/4 of developed nations children are diagnosed with obesity.

65% of the worlds population lives in countries where obesity and overnutrition kills more people than undernutrition

43 Million Children Overweight in 2010

Equality and Justice

The entire world needs to have justice and equality spread throughout its lands. People are dying in one country while others are feeding themselves so much that they are killing themselves in another. Everyone should have the access to food for the sustainability of life. No one should take for granted the food they have. Abusing your food security by overconsumption is an insult to those who go days without a single meal.

Sources Cited

Black, Robert E., Lindsay H. Allen, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Laura E. Caulfield, Mercedes De Onis, Majid Ezzati, Colin Mathers, and Juan Riviera. "ScienceDirect - The Lancet : Maternal and Child Undernutrition: Global and Regional Exposures and Health Consequences." ScienceDirect - Home. The Lancet, 19 Jan. 2008. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673607616900>.

Smith, Lisa C., and Lawrence Haddad. Explaining Child Malnutrition in Developing Countries. A Cross- Country Analysis. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2000. Web. 5 July 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cFvJ39bkNikC&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&dq=child+malnutrition+in+developing+countries&ots=U_JpTSzc-J&sig=ywx1Gs1RSQ58iih-KDgZDzgIQsQ#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

"Child Malnutrition." Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India. World Bank. Web. 5 July 2011. <http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTINDIA/Resources/ChildMalnutrition.pdf>.

"Obesity in the United States." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States>.

 "WHO | Obesity and Overweight." World Health Organization. Mar. 2011. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/>.