Malnutrition/Nutrition

This topic is important to me because I was an overweight child. Here in America, we eat like gluttons. Large meals three times a day, whereas in other countries, children barely have anything to eat. Childhood obesity is a very hot topic right now in the United States. Our First Lady Michelle Obama is a staunch supporter of healthy diets. In a study done in 2008, "African American children are more than 50%likely to be overweight compared to white children". (Flock, 2013). For a child to be able to grow and learn, a healthy diet must be given. Proteins, nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables should be eaten daily.(Medline, 2013). Limitations of fast food, junk food, sodas, processed foods, fried foods and high fructose syrup should be avoided. In South African, 75% of South Africans have inadequate means of buying food. More than 1 in 5 children are physically stunted due to malnutrition. In a study done by Save The Children, chronically malnourished children are 20% less literate than others. (Food4Africa, 2013). Malnutrition is responsible for over 250,000 deaths per year in children younger than 5 years in developing countries. (Shahshidhar, 2013). Preventative measures to protect children agains malnutrition should begin by making sure the pregnant mother is given prenatal care and prenatal nutrition. References Flock, E. (2013, August5). Michelle Obama's newest initiative: using hip-hop to fight obesity. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/05/michelle-obamas-newest-initiative-using-hip-hop-to-fight-obesity Food4Africa. (2013). 7 facts of malnutrition and starvation. South Africa. Retrieved from http://food4africa.org Shahshidhar, H. (2013, Feb11). Malnutrition. Medscape. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/985140-overview U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2013). Child nutrition. Medlineplus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childnutrition.html