Malnutrition

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Malnutrition

Answer 1

Blockade of Germany

Blockade of Germany

The Blockade of Germany, or the Blockade of Europe, occurred from 1914 to 1919. It was a prolonged naval operation conducted by the Allied Powers during and after World War I in an effort to restrict the maritime supply of goods to the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. It is considered one of the key elements in the eventual Allied victory in the war. The German Board of Public Health in December 1918 claimed that 763,000 German civilians died from starvation and disease caused by the blockade up until the end of December 1918. An academic study done in 1928 put the death toll at 424,000.

Both the German Empire and the United Kingdom relied heavily on imports to feed their population and supply their war industry. Imports of foodstuffs and war material of all European belligerents came primarily from the Americas and had to be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, thus Britain and Germany both aimed to blockade each other. The British had the Royal Navy which was superior in numbers and could operate throughout the British Empire, while the German Kaiserliche Marine surface fleet was mainly restricted to the German Bight, and used commerce raiders and unrestricted submarine warfare to operate elsewhere.

Prior to World War I, a series of conferences were held at Whitehall in 1905–1906 concerning military cooperation with France in the event of a war with Germany. The Director of Naval Intelligence—Charles Ottley—asserted that two of the Royal Navy′s functions in such a war would be the capture of German commercial shipping and the blockade of German ports. A blockade was considered useful for two reasons: it could force the enemy′s fleet to fight and it could also act as an economic weapon to destroy German commerce. It was not until 1908, however, that a blockade of Germany formally appeared in the Navy′s war plans and even then some officials were divided over how feasible it was. The plans remained in a state of constant change and revision until 1914, the Navy undecided over how best to operate such a blockade.

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Answer 2

Global Acute Malnutrition

Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) is a measurement of the nutritional status of a population that is often used in protracted refugee situations. Along with the Crude Mortality Rate, it is one of the basic indicators for assessing the severity of a humanitarian crisis.

To evaluate levels of GAM, workers in an emergency measure the weight and height of children between 6 and 59 months. They then use the results as a proxy for the health of the population as a whole. The weight to height index is compared to the same index for a reference population that has no shortage of nutrition. All children with weight less than 80% of the median weight of children with the same height in the reference population, and/or suffering from Oedema, are classified as GAM. The World Health Organization describes Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) as GAM in the 79% - 70% range, and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) as GAM below 70%.

An alternative definition is that a child suffers from GAM if their weight to height ratio is less than the value at -2 Standard Deviations on the Z-Score for the same measurement in the reference population. SAM is defined as a weight to height ratio less than -3 Standard Deviations on the Z-score for the reference population. In practice, since the distribution of weight to height ratios is much the same in all populations, the two definitions are equivalent. Weight for height is chosen rather than weight for age since the latter may indicate long-term stunting rather than acute malnutrition.

The World Health Organization also defines other measures of malnutrition including the Mid-upper arm circumference, Marasmus and Kwashiorkor. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement, if conducted by well-trained staff, can give a quick assessment of new arrivals at a camp. It is based on the observation that this measurement does not change much in children between 6 months and five years old, so comparison to a "normal" measurement is useful. Based on analysis of field results, MUAC < 125mm corresponds to GAM and MUAC < 110mm with or without Oedema corresponds to SAM.

If 10% or more of children are classified as suffering from GAM, there is generally considered to be a serious emergency, and with over 15% the emergency is considered critical. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a famine is declared if three conditions exist. First, at least 20% of households face extreme food shortages with limited ability to cope. Second, GAM prevalence exceeds 30%. Third, crude death rates exceed two persons per 10,000 per day. In 2011 the conditions in some parts of the Horn of Africa met all three criteria.

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Answer 3

Global Hunger Index

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a multidimensional statistical tool used to describe the state of countries’ hunger situation. The GHI measures progress and failures in the global fight against hunger. The GHI is updated once a year.

The Index was adopted and further developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and was first published in 2006 with the Welthungerhilfe, a German non-profit organization (NPO). Since 2007, the Irish NGO Concern Worldwide joined the group as co-publisher.

The 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report—the eleventh in an annual series—presents a multidimensional measure of national, regional, and global hunger. It shows that the world has made progress in reducing hunger since 2000, but still has a long way to go, with levels of hunger still serious or alarming in 50 countries. This year's report hails a new paradigm of international development proposed in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which envisages Zero Hunger by 2030, as one goal among 17, in a holistic, integrated, and transformative plan for the world.

In addition to the ranking, the Global Hunger Index report every year focuses on a main topic: in 2016 the thematic focus is on getting to zero hunger.

Topics of previous years included:

In addition to the yearly GHI, the Hunger Index for the States of India (ISHI) was published in 2008 and the Sub-National Hunger Index for Ethiopia was published in 2009.

India tops world hunger list with 194 million people. That's more than the combined population of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and France.

An interactive map allows users to visualize the data for different years and zoom into specific regions or countries.

The Index ranks countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in practice. Values less than 10.0 reflect low hunger, values from 10.0 to 19.9 reflect moderate hunger, values from 20.0 to 34.9 indicate serious hunger, values from 35.0 to 49.9 reflect alarming hunger, and values of 50.0 or more reflect extremely alarming hunger levels.

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Answer 4

Iodine deficiency in China

Iodine deficiency is a widespread problem in western, southern and eastern parts of China, as their iodized salt intake level is much lower than the average national level. Iodine deficiency is a range of disorders that affect many different populations. It is estimated that IDDs affect between 800 million and 2 billion people worldwide; countries have spent millions of dollars in implementing iodized salt as a means to counteract the iodine deficiencies prevalent today. With China accounting for "40% of the total population", it bears a large portion of those who are iodine deficient.

Iodine is a micronutrient the body needs to properly produce thyroid hormones. The human body is not able to produce it, and iodine is an essential nutrient. Iodine is not readily available in many foods, thus making it difficult for many people to obtain it. One particular source, found in great supply, is ocean water although it is not an effective dietary source. Iodine deficiency diseases (IDDs) are able to develop before birth, so it is crucial for all populations to have sufficient levels of the micronutrient and prevent such diseases from developing early on.

The Chinese government implemented a program of regulating salt to contain iodine starting in 1995. A more recent study has confirmed that the availability of iodized salt in the provinces has increased since this date. Today, about one third of the Chinese population is living in areas with low concentrations of iodine in their water supply. Salt is available in China for less than the retail price in some other countries, at about 5 cents, and is consumed regularly in most diets. This is very cost effective for producers who now must abide by the iodized salt regulations and those for those who need to consume it. The black market, however, is laden with the non-iodized counterpart and partially accounts for the population still be fairly saturated with IDDs.

The levels of iodized salt were measured in a urinalysis of households in China. It was confirmed that about 15–25   mg/kg of iodized salt content in the diet was sufficient in preventing IDDs and preventing side effects of over consumption. In provinces where people are consuming less than this amount, there is an increased amount of improper brain development in children. Furthermore, one can see the relation between the importance of iodine in thyroid hormones and the IDD goitre. This disease causes a swelling in the neck, where the thyroid glands are, leading to impaired cognitive abilities. The child population was about 20% saturated with the disease but continues to decrease with the new initiatives.

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Answer 5

K-Mix 2

K-Mix 2 is a high energy food, used for the treatment of severe malnutrition. It was developed by UNICEF in response to the Biafran crisis, and was widely used in later famines in India and Africa.

It is a dry mix of

When made up, the 100g K-Mix-2 is combined with 60g of oil and 1 litre of water

Although extremely effective in the treatment of children too weak to feed themselves, its high cost precludes it from being used in any but the most extreme cases, and after the acute malnutrition has been treated, other foods are used instead

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Answer 6

List of countries by food energy intake

Food consumption refers to the amount of food available for human consumption as estimated by the FAO Food Balance Sheets. However the actual food consumption may be lower than the quantity shown as food availability depending on the magnitude of wastage and losses of food in the household, e.g. during , in preparation and cooking, as plate-waste or quantities fed to domestic animals and pets, thrown or given away.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the average minimum daily energy requirement is about 1,800 kilocalories (7,500 kJ) per person.

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Answer 7

Malnutrition in Peru

Malnutrition is a condition that affects bodily capacities of an individual, including growth, pregnancy, lactation, resistance to illness, and cognitive and physical development. Malnutrition is commonly used in reference to undernourishment, or a condition in which an individual's diet does not include sufficient calories and proteins to sustain physiological needs, but it also includes overnourishment, or the consumption of excess calories.

Other terms exist to describe the specific effects of malnutrition on the body. Stunting refers to low height for age with reference to a population of healthy children. It is an indicator of chronic malnutrition, and high stunting levels are associated with poor socioeconomic conditions and a greater risk of exposure to adverse conditions such as illness.Wasting refers to low weight for height with reference to a population of healthy children. In most cases, it reflects a recent and acute weight loss associated with famine or disease.

UNICEF statistics collected between 2008 and 2012 indicate that the level of stunting in Peru is 19.5%. The percentage of the population that is underweight is 4.1%, and 9.8% of the population is overweight. The physical effects of stunting are permanent, as children are unlikely to regain the loss in height and corresponding weight. Stunting can also have adverse effects on cognitive development, school performance, adult productivity and income, and maternal reproductive outcome. The problem of stunting is most prevalent in the highland and jungle regions of Peru, disproportionately affecting rural areas within these regions.

Major causes of malnutrition in Peru include food insecurity, diet, poverty, and agricultural productivity, with a combination of factors contributing to individual cases.

Poverty plays a major factor in malnutrition because of the deprivations associated with it. A study conducted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that children in the poorest 20% of Peruvian households had an eight-fold risk of dying from malnutrition than children from the richest 20%. Families living under poverty have limited access to healthy, nutritious foods. Additionally, access to clean water and sanitation services may be restricted due to poor living conditions, which increases the risk of infection transmission. Low school attendance rates means that children are excluded from school feeding programs.

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Answer 8

Malnutrition in children

Malnutrition in children

Malnutrition in children – here understood as undernutrition – is common globally and results in both short and long term irreversible negative health outcomes including stunted growth which may also be linked to cognitive development deficits, underweight and wasting. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that malnutrition accounts for 54 percent of child mortality worldwide, about 1 million children. Another estimate also by WHO states that childhood underweight is the cause for about 35% of all deaths of children under the age of five years worldwide.

The main causes are unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or insufficient hygiene, factors related to society and poverty, diseases, maternal factors, gender issues and – overall – poverty.

There are three commonly used measures for detecting malnutrition in children:

These measures of malnutrition are interrelated, but studies for the World Bank found that only 9 percent of children exhibit stunting, underweight, and wasting.

Children with severe acute malnutrition are very thin, but they often also have swollen hands and feet, making the internal problems more evident to health workers.

Children with severe malnutrition are very susceptible to infection.

Undernutrition in children causes direct structural damage to the brain and impairs infant motor development and exploratory behavior. Children who are undernourished before age two and gain weight quickly later in childhood and in adolescence are at high risk of chronic diseases related to nutrition.

Studies have found a strong association between undernutrition and child mortality. Once malnutrition is treated, adequate growth is an indication of health and recovery. Even after recovering from severe malnutrition, children often remain stunted for the rest of their lives.

Even mild degrees of malnutrition double the risk of mortality for respiratory and diarrheal disease mortality and malaria. This risk is greatly increased in more severe cases of malnutrition.

Undernourished girls tend to grow into short adults and are more likely to have small children.

Prenatal malnutrition and early life growth patterns can alter metabolism and physiological patterns and have lifelong effects on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Children who are undernourished are more likely to be short in adulthood, have lower educational achievement and economic status, and give birth to smaller infants. Children often face malnutrition during the age of rapid development, which can have long-lasting impacts on health.

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Answer 9

Malnutrition in South Africa

Malnutrition continues to be a problem in the Republic of South Africa, although it is not as endemic as in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

15% of South African infants are born with a low birth weight. 5% of South African children are so underweight they are considered to be wasted. Since the 1990s South Africa's malnutrition problem has remained fairly stable. It is estimated that South Africa loses about US$1.1 billion every year in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies arising from malnutrition, although it would only cost an estimated US$55 million to alleviate this problem through micronutrient nutrition interventions.

The prevalence of malnutrition in South Africa varies across different geographical areas and socio-economic groups. Many infants in Africa suffer from malnutrition because their mothers do not breastfeed them. The mothers in South Africa that do not breast feed their children do not do it mainly to try to avoid the possibility that in doing so, their children may contract AIDS. The 2010 South Africa Department of Health Study found that 30.2% of pregnant women in South Africa have AIDS. Malnutrition can cause several different health problems, such as pellagra.

The specific consequences of malnutrition vary depending on the individual and the specific nutrients the individual's diet is lacking. South Africa's Department of Health has established various special programs and initiatives, like the Integrated Nutrition Program, to combat the detrimental effects of malnutrition. All programs and initiatives have faced copious challenges and their individual success rates vastly vary as a result.

Malnutrition can lead to an onslaught of additional health complications, and eventually even death. In fact, UNICEF found that 11.4% of deaths of South African children under five can be attributed to low weight, making low birth weight the second most prominent cause of children's death in South Africa. According to 2008 statistics, out of 10 million children's deaths, 5.6 million can somehow be attributed to malnutrition. Although all cases of malnutrition in South Africa will not necessarily lead to death, they will most likely lead to a decline in health. The most easily preventable yet most prominent detrimental health conditions associated with malnutrition are nutrient deficiencies.

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Answer 10

Malnutrition in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa, is suffering from many diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. "One in four human beings is malnourished" in Africa, but Zimbabwe is near the deep end with almost 12,000 children alone suffering from severe malnutrition (Turner 8). The government is controlled by totalitarian Robert Mugabe. Ruling through disillusionment, Mugabe blames the West for the problems in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe 2). Zimbabweans suffer from lack of food, sustenance, and the politicization of food, but these can be fixed by the fortification of basic foods, the resolution of the political problems in Zimbabwe, and continuing aid from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

If people do not have enough food, or cannot afford food, they will most likely not have enough nutrients in their diets. The Mugabe regime is "[violating] the core obligations of the rights to health, water, food, and work" (Sollom 38). Even if Mugabe had been allowing the Zimbabwean citizens these rights, they would not have been able to afford the food they need. What was once Africa's breadbasket is now living in poverty (Tsvangiari 1). Sixty-two percents of Zimbabweans are living on less than one dollar per day, according to Hazel Chinake. So even if they could afford food, the Zimbabwean people would be starving. Under the white minority rule in what was then called Rhodesia, roughly one fourth of the population was affected with malnutrition.

When a diet consists mainly of fillers, it may eliminate starvation, but it misses key nutrients. The basic fillers are rice, corn, and wheat – cheap crops that can be grown almost anywhere in the world. In Africa, the main crops are generally sorghum and millet, used to feed both the people and any animals the people might own. While "most people only eat meat twice a year at most", there are still some Zimbabweans that live off of a completely grain diet (Sollom 37). However, prices soar for basic foods, too. Mugabe ordered the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000, which lowered the agricultural production, thus lowering the internal economy of Zimbabwe and access to food, as well.

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