World hunger is a problem that has plagued humans since biblical times, yet it seems to get worse every year. From war-torn countries to cities rocked by earthquakes, people in the world are starving and facing the realities of malnutrition. When a person eats very little, his body literally consumes itself. When the body cannot get the nutrients it needs from dietary sources, severe growth and cognitive deficits occur. In the end, this sometimes leads to death. World hunger is common, but the global community can work together to help eradicate malnutrition.
Medical Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a blanket term for a number of conditions that occur from a lack of specific nutrients. A child suffering from malnutrition may have rickets, pellagra, scurvy or beriberi -- all diseases that are avoidable with a balanced diet. Lack of vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-6, B-9, E and K are often deficient in those with malnutrition. These deficits can cause abnormal growth, plus neurological and cognitive defects. In some cases, they can even cause death, according to MedlinePlus.
Poverty-Induced Malnutrition
Two basic forms of malnutrition exist: protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient malnutrition. The type of malnutrition most commonly impacted by poverty is protein-energy, because it influences the total amount of calories a person is able to consume in a day. Micronutrient malnutrition may also be present, but is secondary to the lack of total calories. There were 925 million hungry people in the world in 2010, according to the World Hunger Education Service. That number has increased from the mid-1990s, but is down from 2009.
Causes of Malnutrition
The principle cause of malnutrition is poverty, though it is not the only cause. People cannot afford the food to nourish themselves or their children and they go hungry. The World Bank estimates that, in 2009, 1,345 million lived on $1.25 per day or less. Harmful governments are another source of hunger, as military regimes keep food away from those who need it. Armed conflicts and strife also lend to hunger and preventing people from growing crops for food. Hunger itself hinders people from finding work, and changing climates make growing crops difficult at times. All of these factors can lead to hunger and malnutrition worldwide.
Lack of Micronutrients
Three micronutrients are critical in the fight against world hunger and malnutrition: vitamin A, iron and iodine. Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and reduces resistance to infection, according to the World Hunger Education Service. It causes 250,000 to 500,000 children to lose their sight, and then half of them die within a year. Iron deficiency anemia is the root of 20 percent of all maternal deaths. It also leads to low birth weight and higher risk of infant death. Iodine deficiency in mothers can lead to stillborn babies and spontaneous abortions, while children who are iodine-deficient are at risk for severe mental retardation.
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