On October 16th, 1945, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization established World Food Day to increase awareness of world poverty and hunger, and to create solutions for agri-food (agriculture) systems to collaborate more fairly, sustainably and inclusively from the way they grow their crops to how they price their items in grocery stores.
Malnutrition is one of the world’s greatest challenges. 1 in 5 deaths globally is associated with a poor diet. 45% of deaths among children under 5 are caused by undernutrition. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’s 2020 report, an estimated 690 million people went hungry in 2019 which was 10 million higher from 2018, and almost 60 million higher from 2015. Africa and Asia contain the most individuals who are hungry. In first-world countries, malnutrition is commonly alleviated with the assistance of a registered dietitian, however, not a lot of countries, or people in general, can afford to spend their time or money on the services that a registered dietitian provides. One of the main reasons why malnutrition occurs is a family is unable to grow, raise, or purchase enough diverse, healthy food. This is especially inaccessible in countries such as Niger, where the climate is too hot and dry most of the year to harvest many crops. Water access is also very limited in developing countries.
What Continues to Cause Malnutrition
The rise in population, new technologies and record harvests have contributed to the rise in the prices for most food, especially healthy foods, which are the most expensive. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 report states that “a global shift to nutritious diets could decrease world hunger and save the economy enormously. Health costs associated with unhealthy diets are estimated to reach US $1.3 trillion a year in 2030, which could be almost entirely offset by switching to a nutritious diet. Moreover, the diet-related social cost of greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at US$ 1.7 trillion, could be cut by up to three-quarters”. By increasing the affordability of healthy diets and changing the costs within the food system, not only will the economy be improved where more money could be spent on helping underdeveloped countries, but less hunger will exist, leading to lower mortality rates, food insecurity rates, and overall poverty rates. Proper nutrition is also needed for healthy brain and physiological development, which can help individuals in underdeveloped countries live a more efficient, happy, and healthy life.
The Most Vulnerable Groups
The most vulnerable groups to malnutrition are young children, adolescents and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is due to their bodies having a greater need for nutrients, they are more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies (like anemia from blood loss during the menstrual cycle), poor nutrition during pregnancy can cause changes to the DNA of a mother’s growing children, and babies and young children are the most vulnerable to contracting illnesses such as pneumonia. Furthermore, 60% of the world’s people with chronic hunger are female.
How you can Show Your Support
There are many ways that you can show your support on October 16th for World Food Day. Orange is the colour that represents World Hunger, so make sure you wear it on that day. The United Nations, Oxfam, Food for Famine, and several other Non-Governmental Organizations and general organizations are holding online events to share what they are doing/planning on doing to help, what the government is doing to help, and the many ways that you can also help. Additionally, you can begin to make more nutritious choices to not only support your health but the environment and economy. Visit https://drhyman.com/blog/category/articles/ and other physicians and nutrition experts to learn more about how the foods you eat affect your mood, body, and mind, and the environmental impacts of each decision you make around food.
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