For this
week's blog post I chose to discuss the topic of malnutrition. Malnutrition
occurs when a person does not consume enough food to sustain normal growth
(Berger, 2016). It is especially prevalent in third world countries, but is
also present here in the United States. I chose this topic because of all the
public health issues there are today, this one is the easiest to prevent. Prevention
and education about malnutrition is better than treatment (Berger, 2016). If
families understand the vast and long lasting effects malnutrition has on their
children (which includes but is not limited to brain development and the protection
from diseases) the more likely they will be to work toward and seek out help in
providing a balanced nutritional diet that will foster healthy growth and
development.
By understanding
the ramifications of malnutrition, I can help provide families that I work with
resources regarding local food banks. I can also provide them with information
regarding CHIP (Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program) which will provide
free or low cost insurance for children so that parents can seek out the proper
medical monitoring of growth and development that they need (CHIP, n.d.). WIC (Women,
Infants and Children) is another resource that I can provide for families. "The Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to
States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education
for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women,
and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional
risk. (WIC, n.d)"
Malnutrition
in Asia
In Asia,
the prevalence of malnutrition is very high. In fact, "approximately 70%
of the world's malnourished children live in Asia, resulting in the region
having the highest concentration of childhood malnutrition" (Khor, 2003,
p. 113). In South Asia, 50% of preschoolers suffer from stunting secondary to
malnutrition (Kohr, 2003). Stunting occurs when children do not grow to a
normal height for their age due to malnutrition (Berger, 2016). A comprehensive
approach to help decrease the malnutrition rates in Asia is needed and
includes: providing the necessary foods, providing nutrient supplements,
developing strategies to decrease food prices and protecting the food supply
due to shortages caused by geological factors (ex. drought) (Pasricha &
Biggs, 2010).
Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York,
NY: Worth Publishers.
Khor, G. L. (2003). Update on the prevalence of malnutrition among children in Asia. Nepal Medical College Journal: NMCJ, 5(2), 113-122.
Khor, G. L. (2003). Update on the prevalence of malnutrition among children in Asia. Nepal Medical College Journal: NMCJ, 5(2), 113-122.
Pasricha,
S., & Biggs, B. (2010). Undernutrition among children in South and
South-East Asia. Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health, 46(9),
497-503. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01839.x
Pennsylvania's
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015,
from http://www.chipcoverspakids.com/about-chip/what-is-chip/
Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC). (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-wic
Megan,
ReplyDeleteI am happy to read your post on malnutrition. I don't know why I did not think to research it myself since I suffered from it at one point as a child. I was a very picky eater and after awhile would not eat. My mother tried introducing me to different food and she cooked every night. After a few weeks my mother took me to the hospital and I was admitted. I was feed through tubes at first and then was introduced to food. Till this day I am a picky eater and need to remind myself at times to eat. Some days I do not eat breakfast or lunch or dinner. I do believe proper eating does provide more energy and concentration and healthy brain development. Great Post!
At my school we take malnutrition seriously. If children ask for more food we do not hesitate to give them more if it is available. You never know what a child has at home to eat and what you are feeding them at school maybe their last meal for the day. Being hungry affects your ability to concentration and furthermore learn in the classroom. It breaks my heart that so many children in the United States who have homes are hungry and malnourished. There is a website that you can search by your state of the areas that need food.
ReplyDeletewww.feedingamerica.org
I found your post very interesting. I was under the impression that the biggest hunger issues were in Africa but after reading your post and further articles on the internet, I see that two thirds of the world malnourished children are in Asia. A very sad statistic indeed. Nutrition is vital for growing children and proper development.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting read. Malnutrition is definitely a problem around the world. In the United States malnutrition is prevalent however it seems to be put under the radar by talking about it in the developing countries. I could not not find much on malnutrition in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting read. Malnutrition is definitely a problem around the world. In the United States malnutrition is prevalent however it seems to be put under the radar by talking about it in the developing countries. I could not not find much on malnutrition in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI chose Malnutrition as well. I have heard of it and read about it as well, however I did not think to look at how it can have an effect of children development. I read some articles and it talked about how malnutrition effects growth, learning, and health development. I see why schools push the issue about healthy eating. I encourage now eating and making sure children and families have the appropriate amount of food and health measurement they need to live a healthier life.
ReplyDelete