Nutrition/Malnutrition is a meaningful topic for me because
of a story I came across a few weeks ago. Children that are not having the correct
nutrition not only harm their body but it also affects their mental state. There have been researchers that have revealed
that poor diet during early development (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory
deficits, lower IQ and school achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood
and adolescence (Mcgregor, (1995).Malnutrition has often also
been linked to conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.
I remember reading a story about children in the UK and how they were
battling with malnutrition. Over in the UK, the children are suffering extreme
neglect and malnutrition. Although very alarming, children are still dying from
severe malnutrition. I remember they specifically mentioned a 7 year old boy
named Khyra Ishaq who should not have lost his life due to food. The latest figures calculated in the UK reveal
that 4 million children in the UK are living in poverty. It’s also been found that 16% were
severely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk of severe malnutrition. This
world must find ways to reach out and make sure no one is dying because they
are experiencing malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity. I do my best making
sure all of my students can at least have food for nourishment while on campus.
Reference:
Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review of Studies of the Effect of
Severe
Malnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 125:
2233S-2238S
Wow Elijah!
ReplyDeleteYou would think that things would be better in the United Kingdom!Do you live in the UK? I am glad that you help your students and consider nutrition part of education. The importance of nutrition for education is why Head Start provides meals to its students.
No I live in Florida
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that children of the world are dying of malnutrition and starvation. With the amount of food that is consumed AND wasted in the United States alone, there are NO excuses for starvation! It is also worth noting that though we Americans overeat, we are still malnourished because of the poor food choices that we make. One of the saddest things is the fact that foods that are best for us to eat can be grown.
ReplyDelete