Malnutrition: The Silent Killer Affecting Millions

Humans, scientifically known as homo sapiens, are the most ubiquitous species with the gift of intricate brain systems that can develop equipment, cultures, and languages. The human body, on the other hand, is a type of edifice for human beings. The body contains plenty of dissimilar cells that create tissues, which ultimately create organs and organ systems. In addition, obesity is a medical state in which extra body fat has increased to an extent that it has a negative effect on the overall health of the individual. According to World Health Organization, 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, while 462 million are underweight. Last year, all around the world, 149 million children under 5 years old were estimated to be too short for their age, and 45 million were predicted to be too thin for their height. Another research indicates that 1 in 3 people worldwide suffer from some kind of malnutrition, over and above all of these, 821 million people globally cannot get enough calories to stave off chronic hunger. 

Kwashiorkor is a deadly disease that is caused by malnutrition, specifically due to the lack of sufficient protein. It can also be referred to as severe acute malnutrition or SAM. Individuals who suffer from the disease show signs of edema, accumulating excessive amounts of fluid in one’s body particularly head or legs, and tumid liver. According to Wikipedia, other characteristics of Kwashiorkor can be listed as the distended abdomen, thinning of hair, loss of teeth, skin or hair depigmentation, and dermatitis, which is the inflammation of the skin. Not getting enough vitamin C, lycopene which improves the heart’s health and lowers the risk of specific kinds of cancer, and carotenoids, enhancing the immune system, play a remarkable role in the development of the disease. While the exact cause of the disease is unknown, it is usually prominent in underdeveloped countries, and frequently occurs amongst children that are around five years old. If one analyzes the etymology of the word “kwashiorkor”, it can be seen that it was originated from the Ga language which is the language of coastal Ghana and it can be translated as “the sickness the baby gets when the new baby comes” or “the disease of the deposed child”. Considering that breast milk contains excessive amounts of protein and amino acids, which are vital to a child’s development, the disease might develop after children are weaned. To prevent the Kwashiorkor disease, educating individuals on the proper way of nourishing infants and children is critical. Diets that are rich in carbohydrates, fats, and protein can prevent kwashiorkor. As a treatment, World Health Organization purposes 10 general principles. The organization notes that upon initial treatment, children will lose weight as their edema resolves, therefore requiring 120-140% of their approximated caloric needs. The reason, kind, and harshness of the undernourishment differentiates the types of treatment, which takes around 2 to 6 weeks. Children with no complications are usually treated at home, on the other hand, children with cases of secondary acute malnutrition are usually examined before starting the adequate healing process. 

Anemia is the most common illness that is caused by undernourishment. As a term, it can be described as the decrease in the total amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the rest of the organs in one’s body. The symptoms of anemia might include tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and loss of consciousness. Lack of iron and vitamin B12 are crucial causes of the disease. While it is the most common blood disorder affecting almost half of the population globally, it particularly affects young children, pregnant women, and people with long-term illnesses. According to WebMD, there are around 400 different sorts of anemia but they are classified into three main groups: anemia caused by blood loss, anemia caused by decreased or faulty red blood cell production, and anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells. Anemia caused by blood loss can be exemplified as diseases such as ulcers, gastritis, and cancer. In addition, a woman’s period, and post-trauma or post-operation can lead to anemia caused by blood loss. With the second type of anemia, anemia caused by decreased or faulty red blood cell production, the body does not produce the necessary amount of blood cells or they may not work properly. Finally, the third kind of anemia is the one caused by the destruction of red blood cells. At times red blood cells are delicate and cannot manage the pressure of moving through the body, resulting in the explosion and causing hemolytic anemia. For treatment, even though it differs from type to type, the most common one is vitamin supplements orally or intramuscularly, which can be explained as administered by entering a muscle.  

To conclude all the points that are discussed, malnutrition can cause several diseases that are high in the percentage of mortality. Kwashiorkor and anemia are the most known diseases. Kwashiorkor is the result of low protein intake; the specific cause of the disease is unknown while it affects mostly children that reside in underdeveloped countries. In contrast, anemia is the most common illness that is provoked by the undernourishment of the body. It can show itself as tiredness, dizziness, and lightheadedness, affecting children, pregnant women, and people with terminal diseases more frequently. Given the fact that 8 of 15 risk factors in the global burden of disease are related to poor quality diets, and 1 in 5 deaths are being linked to poor diets when 1.9 billion people are obese, is tragedy at its finest in my opinion.