Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: hunger + malnutrition + and  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

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Hunger and Malnutrition

"You're not leaving the table until you eat your vegetables!"

"I don't want anything. I'm not hungry."

Sound familiar? Like most parents, you've probably wondered just how much food is enough for your child. Maybe you've read about the effect that hunger and malnutrition can have on people over the long term. So you worry that your picky eater isn't getting the nutrients that will help him or her grow properly. Is your child likely to end up malnourished, like people who can't get enough to eat?

What Are Hunger and Malnutrition?
Everyone feels hungry at times. Hunger is the body's signal that it needs food. Once we've eaten enough food to satisfy our bodies' needs, hunger goes away until our stomachs are empty again.

Malnutrition is not the same thing as hunger, although they often go together. People with malnutrition lack the nutrients needed for health and development. Someone can be malnourished for a long or short period of time, and the condition may be mild or severe. People who are malnourished are more likely to get sick, and in severe cases, may even die.

Unfortunately, many people in the world can't get enough to eat most of the time and are at risk of malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that hunger is a problem for one in every seven people on earth - including 153 million children.

Chronic hunger and malnutrition can cause significant health problems. People who go hungry all the time are likely to be underweight, that is, weigh significantly less than an average person of their size. Their growth may also be stunted, making them much shorter than average. (Of course, people can also be underweight or short because they have an illness or because of their genetic makeup.) The World Health Organization has identified being underweight as one of the top ten risks to health in the world. Worldwide, as many as 27% of children younger than age 5 are underweight, especially those who are 6 to 24 months old.

What Causes Hunger and Malnutrition?
People who don't get enough food often experience hunger, and hunger can lead to malnutrition over the long term. But someone can become malnourished for reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. Even people who have plenty to eat may be malnourished if they don't eat food that provides the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Some people become malnourished because they have a disease or condition that prevents them from digesting or absorbing their food properly. For example, someone with celiac disease has intestinal problems that are triggered by a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Children with cystic fibrosis have trouble absorbing nutrients because the disease affects the pancreas, an organ that normally produces enzymes that are necessary for digestion. Children who are lactose intolerant have difficulty digesting milk and other dairy products. By avoiding dairy products, they are at higher risk of malnutrition because milk and dairy products provide 75% of the calcium in America's food supply.

If a person doesn't get enough of one specific nutrient, that's a form of malnutrition (although it doesn't necessarily mean the person will become seriously ill). The most common form of malnutrition in the world is iron deficiency, which affects up to 80% of the world's population - as many as 4 to 5 billion people. Iron is found in foods like red meat, egg yolks, and fortified flour, bread, and cereal.

Who Is at Risk?
All over the world, people who are poor or who live in poverty-stricken areas are at the greatest risk for hunger and malnutrition. In poor countries, wars and natural disasters such as droughts and earthquakes may also contribute to hunger and malnutrition by disrupting normal food production and distribution.

In the United States, food manufacturers fortify some common foods with vitamins and minerals to prevent certain nutritional deficiencies. For example, the addition of iodine to salt helps prevent some thyroid gland problems (such as goiter), folic acid added to foods can help prevent certain birth defects, and added iron can help prevent iron-deficiency anemia.

Malnutrition affects people of every age, although infants, children, and adolescents may suffer the most because many nutrients are critical for growth and development. Older people may develop malnutrition because aging, illness, and other factors may lead to a poor appetite, so they may not eat enough.

Alcohol can interfere with nutrient absorption, so alcoholics may not benefit from the vitamins and minerals they consume. People who abuse drugs or alcohol may also be malnourished or underweight because they don't eat properly. Having anorexia, bulimia, or another eating disorder may also put someone at greater risk of malnutrition. Children or teens with anorexia do not take in sufficient quantities of food, while those with bulimia purge themselves, either by vomiting or with laxatives, before they can digest the food they eat and benefit from the nutrients.

Children and teens on special diets - such as vegetarians - also need to be careful about eating balanced meals and a variety of foods to get the right nutrients. Vegetarians and vegans need to make sure they get enough protein and vitamins like B12.

Signs and Symptoms of Malnutrition

Malnutrition harms both the body and the mind. The more malnourished someone is - in other words, the more nutrients that are missing - the more likely he or she is to have physical problems. A child who is slightly to moderately malnourished may not show any outward physical symptoms at all.

Indications of malnutrition depend on which nutritional deficiencies a child has, although they can include:

• fatigue and low energy
• dizziness
• poor immune function (which can cause the body to have trouble fighting off infections)
• dry, scaly skin
• swollen and bleeding gums
• decaying teeth
• painful joints
• slowed reaction times and trouble paying attention
• underweight
• poor growth
• muscle weakness
• bloated stomach (in severe cases)
• osteoporosis, or fragile bones that break easily (in severe cases)
• problems with organ function (in severe cases)

When a pregnant woman is malnourished, her child may weigh less at birth and have a lower chance of survival. Vitamin A deficiency is the biggest cause of blindness in the developing world. Children in developing countries who have a severe vitamin A deficiency as a result of malnutrition have a greater chance of getting sick or dying from infections such as diarrhea or measles. Iodine deficiency, another form of malnutrition, can cause mental retardation and delayed development. Iron deficiency can cause a child to be less active and less able to concentrate. Teens who are malnourished often have trouble keeping up in school.

Treatment for Children Who Are Malnourished

Fortunately, many of the harmful effects of malnutrition can be reversed, especially if a child is only mildly malnourished or malnourished for a short period of time.

If you think your child isn't getting enough of the right nutrients, talk to your child's doctor, who may look for signs of malnutrition in several ways. He or she may perform a physical exam and ask about the types and amounts of food your child eats. The doctor may also check your child's height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) to get an idea of whether your child's weight is in the healthy range for his or her height and age. He or she may order blood tests to check for abnormalities. Sometimes the doctor also uses X-rays or CT scans to check for signs of malnutrition in organs and bones. He or she may also check for underlying conditions that could be responsible for malnutrition.

Treatment for malnutrition depends on its cause. A doctor or dietitian may recommend specific changes in the types and quantities of foods your child eats. Sometimes he or she will prescribe dietary supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. If there's an underlying problem causing the malnutrition, the doctor will help you and your child find ways of getting the necessary nutrients.

Is My Picky Eater Likely to Be Malnourished?

If your child seems to live on peanut butter sandwiches or hides under the table at the sight of vegetables, it can seem as though he or she isn't eating enough to stay healthy. But the fact is you probably don't need to worry unless he or she isn't growing at a rate that's normal for his or her age. Few children and teens in the United States and other developed nations experience severe malnutrition like that seen in Third-World countries. Over time, most finicky eaters do get enough calories and nutrients to meet their needs.

As a parent, the best thing you can do to ensure that your child is properly nourished is to offer a variety of healthy foods and limit unhealthy snacks. If you're concerned that your child's energy level is lagging or that he or she isn't growing as fast as other children of the same age, share your concerns with your child's doctor.

Teaching Your Child About Hunger

Most people in the United States and other developed countries, including children, have never known true, long-term hunger. But you can use your child's own experiences to help him or her understand about hunger in the world.

Ask your children to think about a time that they were very hungry and to remember how their bodies felt. Did their stomachs hurt or growl? Did they feel cranky and tired? Did they have energy to play or to do schoolwork? Ask them to try to imagine how it would be to feel that way every day and to never know when or if they would get enough food to eat.

Share these facts and figures with them:

• Hunger affects one in seven people on earth.
• One in every four children is malnourished.

To help combat hunger, your child may want to make a contribution to a group that fights world hunger. One such group is the United States Fund for UNICEF. Its website has a special section with suggestions for how kids can help raise money to help others. Click on the "Additional Resources" tab for more information.