Poor Diet Causing Malnutrition Diseases

If your child is a picky eater, then you should be aware about his health as he may not be getting nutrients essential for his health. All parents want their kids and their loved ones very healthy and energetic but sometimes we see that children are extremely weak and thin, and have a potbelly. The faces of these kids are not so bright and fresh. The reason is that their diet lack in vitamin, minerals, protein or starch. So their health is not so good and moreover the children cannot fight against the diseases. This condition is called Malnutrition.

Malnutrition is the condition that occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients. The malnutrition is not so familiar in United States or other affluent country, but very familiar in Asian countries.

Ann Veneman, executive director of Unicef, said: "The lack of progress to combat malnutrition is damaging children and nations. Few things have more impact than nutrition on a child's ability to survive, learn effectively and escape a life of poverty."

How malnutrition diseases begin:-

Malnutrition causes a large number of diseases in human. The main reason for these malnutrition diseases is poverty which is a great source of hunger and so malnutrition. In poor countries, the natural disasters like earthquakes, droughts can also make a contribution in increasing malnutrition diseases. Intake of little food or if the food that lack in nutrients are the main causes for the beginning of malnutrition diseases. Impure water and bad sanitation are also important factors for malnutrition diseases. Contaminate food and water supplies also increase chances of malnutrition.

Diseases through Malnutrition:-

There are various medical diseases caused by the general lack of food.

Beriberi: it is due to deficiency in thiamine, vitamin B1.

Rickets: - it is a disease in which bones are weak. It is due Vitamin D deficiency.

Pellagra: - it is occur due to a deficiency in niacin, vitamin B3.

Scurvy: - it is a weakness of immunity and due to vitamin C deficiency/ascorbic acid.

Marasmus: - it is due to starvation.

Kwashiorkor: - it is protein malnutrition.

Goiter: - in this disease thyroid gland is swelled due to lack of iodine.

Malnutrition diseases affect both mind and the body very badly. Malnutrition can lead to various health problems, including depression, fatigue, weak immune system (which increases the risk of infections), muscle weakness (which can lead to falls and fractures), low red blood cell count (anemia), digestive, lung and heart problems.

Prevention for malnutrition diseases:-

If the harmful effects of the malnutrition diseases are at primary stage then they can be reversed using some preventions. There are some things that can be taken into account like you can improve your water supply quality, make sanitation fresh and pay attention for hygiene.

Health education must be started for the people that guides about healthy diet. It must be ensured that the industrial areas must be away from water resources so they can not contaminate water and not increase the malnutrition.

In the United States, there are some steps taken for the food manufacture to prevent malnutrition like addition of iodine to salt which is good for preventing Goiter (thyroid related problem), addition of folic acid to food which is good for removing birth defects, adding iron to food that is good for preventing anaemia.

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