Under – nutrition occurs from growth right through and is seen to be one of the main causes of infant death all over the world. According to the WHO: Reduced mental and physical capabilities are evident in those that receive a diet deficient in the essential nutrients.
According to the WHO:
- The world has over 50 000 edible plants. Just three of them, rice, maize and wheat, provide 60 percent of the world's food energy intake.
- The main staple foods in the average African diet are (in terms of energy) cereals (46 percent), roots and tubers (20 percent) and animal products (7 percent).
- In Western Europe the main staple foods in the average diet are (in terms of energy) animal products (33 percent), cereals (26 percent) and roots and tubers (4 percent).
Staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities as to constitute the dominant part of the diet and supply a major proportion of energy and nutrient needs.
Most people live on a diet based on one or more of the following staples: rice, wheat, maize (corn), millet, sorghum, roots and tubers (potatoes, cassava, yams and taro), and animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese and fish.
Of more than 50 000 edible plant species in the world, only a few hundred contribute significantly to food supplies. Just 15 crop plants provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake, with three rice, maize and wheat - making up two-thirds of this.
There are obvious reasons for under – nutrition in the developing world.
These include:
- Inadequate food resources
- Natural devastation
- Inadequate means of distributing food
- Poor farming methods
- Limited water supplies
- War
- Debt
- Civil unrest
Large numbers of the population in the developing world do not have enough food and consequently suffer from malnutrition.
The populations of many of the developing countries have been rising faster than their production of food. A lack of education means that the people of the developing world do no practise effective birth control and consequently the population keeps increasing. The demand on food supply is therefore extremely high.
According to the WHO:
‘For every one farmer in the developed world there are 19 in the developing world. Where there is mechanization, fewer workers can produce more food.’
The poorest people have not been educated and therefore don’t know about pesticides and disease control on their crops.
Malaria and sleeping sickness are endemic in undeveloped countries. These diseases leave the poor very ill and therefore they are unable to work on their land and consequently their family suffer from malnutrition for a period of time.
There is an urgent need for an education programme of some sort to educate these people.
Poor people are limited to the cheapest food such as rice and maize. These foods lack in the sufficient minerals and essential nutrients in which a person needs for a balanced diet. Those that depend on the cheapest foods tend to suffer from deficiency diseases.
Maramus is the predominant form of malnutrition throughout most developing countries. Whilst it is rare in breast fed infants whose mothers are adequately nourished, it is common in poorer nations where mothers bottle - feed rather than breast - feed, their infants. Unfortunately, many women in developing countries tend to lack the training, money and kitchen facilities to prepare artificial milk safely. This results in both underfeeding and infection caused by poor sterilization methods, which leads to the development of infantile diarrhoea.
In the western world food and drink is taken for granted. In the developing countries, clean water is not always available. It is estimated that in the developing world according to UNICEF that 250,000 people die every day from water – borne diseases.
To ensure that basic human and environmental needs are met it is therefore important that a sound global water policy is developed.
According to UNICEF, in Mozambique 1 out of every 3 children won’t see their fifth birthday compared to 1 out of every 100 in the UK.
There are many factors, which, influence food choices in the developed world.
These may include:
- Age
- Gender
- Lifestyle
- Family
- Cultural background
- Education
- Geographical location
Healthy food is often expensive, and, only available at a limited number of outlets. These foods are not always available to the poorest members of society.
The government White Paper ‘ Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (1997)’ expresses concerns about the availability of healthy affordable food to the poorest members of society.
Obesity and over – nutrition are not the case in Mozambique and the third world countries but in the UK it is. Speaking about the issue Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the Health Promotion Agency, said:
‘We know from research that what children eat and drink when they are young can affect their health for many years to come, so developing good eating habits at an early age is crucial. We also know that childhood obesity is a major public health issue in Northern Ireland.’
Research carried out by the Health Promotion Agency shows that a third of boys and a quarter of girls aged 12 carry excess weight. Research also shows that obesity can impact a child’s life on many levels. Obesity can present immediate and future health problems including high blood pressure, an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Overweight children are more likely to suffer from psychological problems such as depression, lack of self-esteem and self-confidence.
Dr Brain Gaffney also said, ‘There are many ways to combat this growing problem of obesity including providing children with a healthy, varied, balanced diet rich in fruit and veg both at school and at home as well as increasing physical activity levels both at school and outside school which will improve their overall health and well-being.’
Researchers have identified that people who continue to watch their diet and exercise on a regular basis maintain their weight loss. However, for most people this may not seem realistic. It is important to remember that some small changes are better than no changes at all. These changes will go a long way to protect a person's health. People must be willing to seek help from healthcare professionals to find a treatment plan and set realistic behaviour goals.
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