NUTRITION/MALNUTRITION

                            

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary malnutrition is “the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food: poor nutrition”

                                                              

 

         I chose nutrition/malnutrition as my topic. Before entering the education field, I was in the food service field for over 30 years including 26 in the military.  I still have a passion for food service so I keep abreast of changes and stay qualified with my certifications in the field.

 

Nutrition/ malnutrition are important to me because there are so many people today who are not receiving the proper nutrition to stay healthy.  In the Unites States, more than 47 million people lived in households that cannot afford to put putting food on their table. According to the USDA, about 85% of Americans do not consume the recommended daily intakes of the most important vitamins and minerals necessary for proper physical and mental development. There are over 15 domestic nutrition assistance programs in the United States to assist people with putting food on the table. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the largest of the programs. The Women’s Infant and Children is another popular program that assists pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding mothers, infants and children to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition. The program serves about half of all babies born in the United States.

   

Malnutrition is rampant in developing countries around the world.  Nutrition/malnutrition covers all aspects of health, growth, cognition, motor and social development of young children in developing countries.  Here are a few facts from Ghana concerning nutrition/malnutrition.

                                                      GHANA

                                             

                                                 

Ghana is a small country of West Africa that has a lot with natural resources. The people of Ghanaian diets consist of starchy roots, (yams), fruit (plantain) and cereals (rice). The starchy roots and cereals make up about three fourths of their diets.  Ghana has increased food production but under nutrition is still a serious problem .They need a more diversified diet to fight malnutrition. Here are some facts about nutrition in Ghana:

· 

•     8 in 10 children under 5 years of age suffer from some form of under nutrition  
•     More than one in five children in Ghana is stunted (suffering from chronic malnutrition)
•     In the Northern Region 37, percent of children are stunted due to childhood malnourishment.
• Gender inequality and constraints worsen food insecurity, under nutrition, and poverty 

 

In Ghana, low access to health services, poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, malaria and malnutrition are an underlying factor among the main causes of death. Stunting and other forms of malnutrition pose a significant risk to a child's health and development, especially in their early years, increasing their vulnerability to diseases and infections.

 

 

The information I have will affect my future work because I will continue to stay abreast of all the changes in regards to nutrition and child develop. I may not be able to influence situations all over the world but I make donations through reputable charities to contribute to fighting malnutrition around the world.  In my preschool classroom, I incorporate health and nutrition into my curriculum and provide parents with information regarding nutrition. Every March during National Nutrition Month, I do activities and get the children to do projects about nutrition in all classrooms in the child development center.

Walls outside my classroom during National Nutrition Month  with nutritional  information and activities completed by the children   

                                          

           

 

                                           

                                                          References

              

Agriculture and Nutrition in Ghana. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.fantaproject.org/sites/default/files/resources/Ghana-Fact-Sheet-Ag-Nutrition-Feb2013.pdf

 Food and Nutrition | USDA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=food-nutrition

Health and Nutrition. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015,from http://www.unicef.org/health_nutrition _7512.html

   

      Malnutrition (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.merriam-  webster.com/dictionary/malnutrition

                                                       Resourceful websites

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

http://www.letsmove.gov/

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome

  

Anita Marve