HUNGER & MANUTRITION

• Hunger refers to the want or scarcity of food.

• Malnutrition (or under-nutrition) indicates a lack of, or all,

nutritional elements necessary for human health.

• There are two types of malnutrition. The first, and most

important, is Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM). It is basically

lack of calories & proteins. It is PEM that we will discuss when

we talk of World Hunger

• The second type of malnutrition, also important, is

micronutrient deficiency. i.e. deficiency of vitamins & minerals

 A HUNGRY WORLD
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates
that 870 Million people in the world are suffering from chronic
malnutrition.
• 1/3rd of the world’s hungry live in India. There has been only a
marginal drop in the number of Indian malnourished in the last
20 years.
 A HUNGRY WORLD
• There are 870 Million hungry people in the world.
• South Asia & Sub-Saharan are two areas where most of the
hungry people live.
• 1/3rd of the world’s hungry people live in India.
• Roughly 25 Million Indian children suffer from Malnutrition.
• 3000 children are dying DAILY, due to illnesses related to
malnutrition.
• Not only is the daily calorie consumption lower than required,
but there is also an acute deficiency in micro-nutrients, esp.
Calcium, Iron & Vitamins.
 CHILDREN & HUNGER
• Globally, poor nutrition plays a role in the deaths of nearly 5 Million
children annually.
• Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each
year.
• Under-nutrition magnifies the effect of every disease, including
measles & malaria.
• In many cases, their malnutrition begins even before birth – with a
malnourished mother.
• Under-nutrition among pregnant women not only leads to babies with
low birth-weight, but may also cause learning disabilities, mental
retardation, poor health, blindness, and even death.
 CAUSES
• The world can produce enough food to provide every person with
more than 2720 kCal per day, a level which is normally sufficient to
ensure an adequate diet.
• So the problem is that though there is enough food for every one,
every one doesn’t get enough food!
• Poverty is the principal cause of hunger.
• War & Conflict, Discrimination, Climate Change, Natural Calamities
are responsible for hunger.
• By causing poor health, lower energy levels, even mental retardation,
hunger itself, causes poverty, which in turn, causes hunger.
EFFECTS
• High Infant-Mortality Rates:  Malnourished women are more likely
to be sick, have smaller babies, and die earlier, resulting in high
levels of infant mortality in areas where chronic hunger is a
problem.
• Vulnerability to Common Illnesses:  More than two million children
die every year from dehydration caused by diarrhea.
• Increased Risk of Infection:  A malnourished child has a weakened
immune system, making the child more vulnerable to infection.
• Acute Vulnerability in Times of Disaster:  Hungry families are
already living on the edge of survival and are devastated the most
by unexpected shocks, such as crop failure, floods, epidemics,
locusts or typhoons.
 EFFECTS . . . (cont)
• Impediments to Development:  Chronic hunger deprives children of

the essential proteins, micronutrients and fatty acids they need to

grow adequately. Globally, it is estimated that nearly 226 million

children are stunted—shorter than they should be.

• Impediments to Economic Growth:  For the nearly 67 million

children who are malnourished, completing school is an unlikely

reality. which, in turn, has a measurable impact on how much they

earn in adulthood.