Malnutrition is defined as the lack of
proper nutrition, which is usually caused by not having sufficient to eat or
not having enough of the right foods to provide the necessary nutrients. The
reason this topic is significant to me is because in today’s society everyone
is either trying to lose weight or just aiming to live a healthier life. In the
midst of our goals and aims, there are children out there who are not receiving
enough food to allow them to live a healthy life. Also with in our schools, the
children do not seem to be very appreciative of the blessing that they have
called food. Majority of children do not eat a lot of food, I myself as a child
did not like food, but to imagine all the food that is discarded on a daily
basis meanwhile children in countries like Haiti are suffering because of the
lack of nutrition.
In Haiti, where suffering seems to be an ongoing unfortunate way of
life, malnutrition is very prevalent throughout the country. The following is
recorded in Haiti:
·
One in 10 children die before the age of 5
·
Malnutrition is the leading cause of death among
children
·
One third of 1 year olds show signs of severe
growth retardation
·
40% of all 5 year olds have stunted growth and
brain development
·
Malnutrition contributes to 60% of all deaths in
children
A society losing their children so rapidly is a hindrance on the
country’s future. The children are meant to grow up to be great citizens of a nation;
instead these children in Haiti do not have the nutrition readily available in
order to have normal brain development, thereby being able to provide for the
country’s needs.
In today’s society children in my country, Barbados, have a privilege
to food. In government nursery and primary schools, lunch is provided for a
cost of $1 per week. Despite these privileges, some children do not have an
appreciation or knowledge of the importance of having a balance diet. To my
lack knowledge I have learnt that some Barbados children suffer from
malnutrition and according to the studies this can lead to ADHD. Therefore in
my future interactions with children and their parents, it would be important
to emphasize the urgency of providing the child with a balance diet so they can
make good use to the education provided to them. Also to encourage healthy
nutrition during the prenatal stages, since this too affects the child in the
long run.
Thank you for writing about Barbados. It is a country that I know very little about I am very pleased that you are able to share this information. It is also very interesting that malnutrition can possibly lead to ADHD.
ReplyDeleteJolene Hernandez-Romero
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMalnutrition is a big issue around the world, sometimes even here in the US. Despite the circumstances that children that are under fed and needs the proper amount of nutrition in their diet, but what about the children that are over fed, over weight and develop diabetes, cholesterol, etc.So this is an important factor to worry and think about.
Thanks for sharing this blog it's an eye opener!
Kiendra,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the different views you can provide us by not living in the United States. I believe that many times we do not look past what is in our backyard until the problem becomes a crisis. The children of Haiti touch my heart, and I hope as a country we can reach out to them to provide more support. My church sponsor an education initiative in Guatemala, but I am going to see if we can offer more support to other developing countries as well.
Thank you for sharing the information with all of us.
Tanya
The fact that there are so many people around the world who are starving is astounding to me. What is more unbelievable is the number of people who are starving in the United States. It saddens me that I live in a country of such wealth and knowledge, yet people of all ages are starving each and every day. It is outrageous to me where our dollars are going, verses where they need to be. Nutrition is a huge factor in child development, as sufficient nutrients are necessary for optimal brain development. For that reason alone, I believe that malnutrition needs to be addressed across the globe to ensure the viability of our nations.
ReplyDeleteHI Kiendra
ReplyDeleteMalnutrition is a global issue affecting many developing countries as well as developed countries. It is interesting that lunch is being provided in Barbados at a cost of $1 per week. Here in St. Lucia, lunch is provided to both primary and secondary schools at a cost of $5 per week. At my school we have a garden and the Grade 5 and 6 classes study Agriculture and as part of their class they grow vegetables and ground provisions which are used in the school feeding programme. However, when the children are given vegetables in their lunch plates, the majority of them throw it away. During the break period we also sell fruits and local fruit juices at the canteen but they seldom buy it. They prefer to by the junk and soft drinks from the road side vendor. Our school has gone on a no junk food drive and have asked parents to refrain from giving students junk food in their lunch bags. This has helped to some extent. It is heart-wrenching that in St. Lucia so much food is being wasted when, in our next door neighbour- Haiti, the children are suffering so much.
It was also interesting to learn the possibility of getting ADHD as a result of malnutrition.
Thanks for sharing.
Zephirina
I enjoy learning how different countries handle things compared to the United States. Last year, students had to pay for lunch based on their parents income. This year, the school system made a change in the way that they do things. All students eat for free regardless of what their parents income is in the elementary grades and preschool offer a nutritious breakfast, snack and lunch for free. I strong believe that this is a great system put in place. However, I have come to learn that this is the only meal that a lot of children will receive. I have watched preschoolers eat until all the food was gone. Also, they would race to eat under the impression that it would not be enough for them to get more.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning how different countries handle things compared to the United States. Last year, students had to pay for lunch based on their parents income. This year, the school system made a change in the way that they do things. All students eat for free regardless of what their parents income is in the elementary grades and preschool offer a nutritious breakfast, snack and lunch for free. I strong believe that this is a great system put in place. However, I have come to learn that this is the only meal that a lot of children will receive. I have watched preschoolers eat until all the food was gone. Also, they would race to eat under the impression that it would not be enough for them to get more.
ReplyDeleteThank you for discussing this very serious issue of childhood nutrition. When I was working with preschoolers from low socioeconomic backgrounds I found that many were not given many experiences with healthy foods, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables. I would try to bring nutrition into our lessons whenever possible to give them opportunities to use all their senses to explore good foods. I found most of my students loved this experience and were excited to try new foods. I definitely believe that there is a strong connection to healthy eating, full tummies and learning!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a real issue not only in countries around the world but it is also a major issue in the United States. Working with young children and families I see the importance of providing good hot healthy meals for our children. I think as a nation we should make a greater effort to feed our children.
ReplyDelete