How Malnutrition Is Still Affecting the World

I know that you would have come across the term malnutrition. We've learnt about it right from our primary classes but fail to apply them in our daily life. Often, we think it is not necessary and pay less heed to our bodies.

Malnutrition is a mundane quandary that has many forms. It acquires most of the world’s population at some point in their lifecycle, from infancy to old age.
No nation is left untouched. It affects all geographies, all age people, rich and poor, and all sexes. 

It is a truly universal problem. Malnutrition evinces itself in numerous ways, all are diverse, but all of them are overlapping in all the countries, communities, households and people.

It is said that anyone can experience malnutrition, particularly the vulnerable and weak people like young children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, older people, people who are ill or immuno-compromised, indigenous people and people in poverty.

The population that gets migrated or displaced due to conflicts, droughts, floods and any other natural disasters, famines or land tenure issues are also at a high risk to malnutrition issues that might emerge in the later stage of their life.

Additionally, malnutrition is responsible for more health troubles than any other issue as good health is not possible without good nutrition. 

All forms of illness which result in malnutrition are associated with higher levels of mortality. Malnutrition caused by a poor diet is quite common in India, and it can happen if a child is neglected, living in poverty or being abused.

What is malnutrition?

Malnutrition is defined as a condition of nutrition in which a deficiency or excess or at least an imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients. It causes immense horrendous effects on tissues and body form such as body shape, size and composition, function and clinical outcome.

It also refers to a person’s diet, which does not provide enough nutrients or the right balance of nutrients for optimal health.

Causes of malnutrition include unbefitting dietary choices, choosing fast food over healthy snacks, a low income, difficulty in obtaining food, and various physical and mental health conditions.

But the excess amount of nutrients leads to bad health. That's why the definition mentions the word imbalance. Neither fewer nutrients nor excess nutrients. Those two extreme sides of good health are:

1. Undernutrition – not getting enough nutrients

2. Overnutrition – getting more nutrients than needed

Types of malnutrition:

1. Undernutrition - This term includes:

Stunting - means that the person has a low height for age, low weight for height

Underweight - means that the person has a low weight for age

Micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies - means a lack of vital vitamins and minerals

2. Overnutrition

It includes health issues like obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

I wouldn't say that if a person is considered obese, they are healthy. If they do not get the right balance of nutrients, they can also have malnutrition. It is still possible to be obese with malnutrition.

Malnutrition in children is caused by long-term health conditions which often leads to:

1. A lack of appetite

2. Disruption of digestion

3. The increase in body's demand for energy

4. Childhood cancers

5. Congenital heart disease

6. Cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy

These are just some of the issues to name by but, there are tons of them which we aren't still aware of. Some children might just become malnourished because of an online bullying, an eating disorder or a behavioural or psychological condition that means they avoid or refuse food.

When a person seldom has food, a limited diet, an eating disorder or a condition that stops their body from obtaining the right balance of nutrients, it can have a severe impact on their health. In some cases, this can turn out to be threatening your life.

The situation of hunger and malnutrition in India is so terrifying. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) shows through the Statistics compiled by them that India has the highest number of undernourished hungry people in the world - 194.6 million or 15 per cent of India’s total population during 2014-16.

Needless to say that it is still prevailing in India through the years.

What causes this malnutrition?

Malnutrition has many complex causes operating at different levels. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene, income, education and quality health services are all necessary to keep a check.

A primary reason across all forms of this malady is a suboptimal diet which also includes inadequate breastfeeding for babies. Scanty intake of food becomes the second-leading risk factor for deaths and DALYs globally, accounting for 18.8% of all deaths, of which 50% are due to cardiovascular collapse.

Several things may affect the amount and type of food that adults eat. These include:

1. Health problems - Adults have health problems that cause a loss of appetite or make it hard to eat. This could include maladies such as dementia and other chronic illnesses. They may be on restricted diets due to some specific surgeries. They could probably have dental problems which makes it hard to chew or swallow foods.

2. Lack of variety in diet - Fast food and processed foods don’t have the full spectrum of nutrients which the body requires. Sometimes adults tend to eat the same foods that they enjoy or are easy to prepare, therefore missing out on needed variety.

3. Medicines - Specific medicines can curb appetite or affect the taste and smell of food.

4. Low income - Adults can be on a fixed income. They might be paying for expensive medicines to help manage health conditions. They may also have trouble paying for groceries, especially the healthy foods they need.

5. Disability - Adults who have dementia or any other physical disabilities may not be able to go for shopping for groceries or cook for themselves.

6. Social issues - Mealtimes can be social occasions. As we age, we might start to lose our dear friends and family members. Adults who usually eat alone might tend to lose interest in cooking and eating.

7. Alcoholism - It can affect how the body absorbs nutrients from food.

8. Depression -  in adults can lead to loss of appetite, So it doesn't mean that you have to improve your diets as it is not necessarily enough to address malnutrition, but it is a necessary component of diminishing disability and death from malnutrition across all ages.

Initiatives taken to solve them:

The member states of the World Health Organization adopted a series of targets to significantly reduce the burden of many of these forms of malnutrition by 2025 after they acknowledged the serious impact of malnutrition on global health, in 2012 and 2013.

Adopted through two separate commitments at its annual meeting, the World Health Assembly, understood the need to overcome many of these different forms of malnutrition.

In 2012, the initiative taken by WHO is the Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition. It included targets on stunting and wasting among children under five years of age, anaemia among women of reproductive age and low birth weight among newborns.

It also committed to no increase in childhood overweight and to increase the rate of breastfeeding of babies under six months old.

Till this date, many are still suffering from this ailment. I wouldn't say that the efforts aren't taken to solve them. It is indeed taken and the numbers have decreased all across the globe but, some are yet to be found and nurtured.

The prevalence of malnutrition, encompassing both undernutrition and overnutrition is an essential indicator of a nation’s health. Those who are either undernourished or obese tend to underperform in various aspects of life, missing out on opportunities to become productive members of society.

India is one among those countries in the world with the highest recorded people of undernourished. As the nation aspires to fulfil its economic and social development goals, malnutrition is one specific area that requires immense attention.

India’s malnutrition dispute can be approached only when the State governments foster an inclusive and coordinated approach and demonstrate better governance.

Written By – Bennet Vini.R