Nutrition and food science technology

Nutrition and food science technology

1. Malnutrition

Among the many issues, current world governments are tackling arises the issues of malnutrition. In many underdeveloped and developing countries, both the young and the elderly face adverse cases of imbalanced distribution of nutrient intake i.e., too much or too little, which causes several issues in the human body (Williams, 2018). Malnutrition, in this sense then, refers to a situation where a given individual’s particular nutrient levels are either overwhelmingly high or low. It leads to grave health issues that range from eye problems to heart disease and stunted growth.

Nutritional aspects that contribute to the rate of malnutrition may include proteins, calories, vitamins, and carbohydrates. If the concentration of any of these given nutrients is below the recommended level, then this we can refer to as undernourishment or undernutrition, while if the concentration is above what is required, we can refer to this as overnutrition (Williams, 2018). In most cases and in most developing countries, the former iteration of malnutrition is more common than the latter. As such, it has become the norm to associate this nutritional issue with almost exclusively, undernutrition. This is because, in our developing world, struggling countries are having issues with aspects such as a balanced diet and, in return, have communities not receiving enough protein, calories, vitamins, carbohydrates, or minerals. Developing countries, on the other hand, have an abundance of nutrition, which is abused, leading to problems such as obesity and being overweight. This is one of the leading issues facing countries such as America.

There are several problems attributed to an individual’s body lacking the recommended amounts of nutrients. As discussed above, these include heart problems and stunted growth. In detail, it can go as far as affecting infants if their mothers did not observe strict dietary schedules during their pregnancies (Williams, 2018). This is because if undernutrition occurred in a time of pregnancy, the born child is under high risk of suffering permanent mental and physical development. If the situation of undernutrition, also known as starvation, is prevalent, then the result could be an individual losing body and muscle mass, bone density, and energy levels. A good example of this is seen in developing countries like Kenya where the country’s northeastern tribes living in harsh arid conditions are wasting away due to malnutrition (Williams, 2018)

. Another result of starvation could be the contribution of a number of diseases like measles, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis. The symptoms and deficiency results of malnutrition are tied to micronutrient missing. The lack of protein results in conditions such as kwashiorkor and marasmus (Williams, 2018).Lack of common micronutrients like iodine and iron can result in goiter and anemia, respectively. Deficiencies in zinc result in loss of appetite, loss of hair, diarrhea, and stunted growth while lack of Vitamin A results in dry eyes and night blindness.

1. Analysis of the Issue; Who is Impacted and What Are the Causes

Malnutrition majorly affects children, although it can be found in grown-ups as well. Billions of people are affected by it worldwide. This is all dependent on individual or societal environment, available resources, and lifestyle. In 2018 alone, there were over 800 million malnourished people globally. About a third of child deaths are believed to be because of malnutrition. A whopping 15 million children are estimated to suffer stunted growth. Undernutrition in children results in lack of appetite, tiredness, loss of fat, irritability, loss of muscle mass and body tissue, a longer time for wounds to heal, a high risk of contracting diseases lack interest in food and a longer time in healing from diseases and conditions. Malnutrition in children also has an impact on a country’s economic prowess as mental issues brought about by malnutrition like iodine deficiency are permanent and are counted as the biggest causes of productivity loss. If a pregnant mother is malnourished, then the born child may have low birth weight and suffer growth illness and retardation throughout their young lives and into adulthood.

There are several causes of malnutrition that differ across the world. In developed countries, overnutrition is more the norm, while in developing countries, there is the problem of undernutrition (Williams, 2018). As discussed above, the causes tie to individual and societal environments, which include the political, economic, geographic, and cultural aspects surrounding these individuals and societies. Unstable political situations can create hostile environments that cannot support agriculture, for example, and this will impact the food supply of a country leading to undernutrition. Similarly, an unstable economic system results in high priced products which can be out of reach for the everyday citizen. Individual and cultural beliefs and practices may lock people out of using a line of products like dairy, which leads to malnutrition (Williams, 2018). High levels of illiteracy regarding diet and dietary balance is another contribution to the high rate of global malnutrition.

Other causes of malnutrition include digestive problems such as Crohn’s disease, bacterial overgrowth in an individual’s intestines and celiac disease, mental health issues, and excessive intake of alcohol.

2. Current strategies to Address Malnutrition

There have been numerous solutions presented to tackle global malnutrition. Government and non-governmental organizations have provided mineral-focused pills, educational awareness, and food supplements to tackle malnutrition. Relief food offered by the international community I s feeding developing countries that need the help. Promoting healthy food in developed countries is also underway. This goes hand in hand with encouraging physical activity, which can combat obesity and prevent one from being overweight. Focusing on balanced diets can also help combat malnutrition. A balanced diet should include an equal distribution of minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, and vitamins.

3. Recommendation

My recommendations on this matter are there should be continued support and aid offered to develop countries as well as awareness provided to developed ones. Practices such as breastfeeding, which reduce the rates of malnutrition in children, should be encouraged. Supplementation should also be done, not only in developed countries but in developing ones as well (Williams, 2018). To those already suffering from adverse malnutrition conditions and diseases, medical help should be sought.