Malnutrition and Its Preventions

Malnutrition is a serious condition in which a person is either deficient or has an excess or imbalance of energy or nutrients. It basically covers two groups:

• Undernutrition: when you don't get enough nutrients - categorized by stunting (less height according to age), wasting (less weight according to height), and being underweight.
• Overnutrition: lack of proper nutrients and energy in the system

Who's at risk of malnutrition:

Anyone can get affected by malnutrition but the chances are more in some individuals like:

• Those with any long-term health conditions that can affect your appetite, weight, or absorption of nutrients like Crohn's disease.
• Those who have problems while swallowing
• Those who belong to the low-income class and feel socially isolated.
• Those who need more immune power like those with tremors, cystic fibrosis, etc.

Elderly people are also more at risk of being malnourished. Weight loss doesn't occur with old age, as generally believed.

How to prevent malnutrition:

Planning for the Nutrition:

This requires efforts by the government to make sure there is a well planned and well-executed plan in place that can prevent malnutrition. This can help with accelerating the development and the long term benefits for the whole country can be very rewarding.

This planning will require the government to assign a full team dedicated to working towards nutrition. This includes planning out nutrition policy and strengthens production and supplies of food throughout the country. This will ensure equitable distribution and increase the purchasing power of people. Some of the reforms can include proper guidance to farmers on how to increase yields of their lands, correct land usage, and help in the marketing of farm produce. The government should also work towards increasing the income of weaker sections of society so they can buy nutritious food. Making food available by developing a proper public distribution system should be the number one goal of the government to curb malnutrition.

Health Interventions in the health care system

In India, infections like diarrhea, measles, and malaria are still present in society. They can directly lead to malnutrition, especially in kids and infants. It is crucial that a good healthcare system that consists of immunization, early diagnosis, proper treatment, and immunization is in place. This will help prevent malnutrition in children.

Education on Nutrition:

It is important to discuss the nutritional quality of certain foods such as:

• Importance of consuming local and seasonal foods and not culturally accepted low-cost foods like biscuits over mangoes in summers
• Importance of breastfeeding the baby for 6 months exclusively and continue to breastfeed along with solid for 2 years or more
• There shouldn't be any damage to feeding due to any cultural customs and irrational beliefs.
• Educating new moms on recipes of foods that a child should get during weaning.
• Importance of dairy products, protein, and vitamin D for healthy growth in children.
• Importance of breastfeeding a child during sickness
• Taking special care of adults (especially elderly) when they are sick
• Advantages of having a garden of your own where you can grow fruits and vegetables
• Importance of immunization in children at the time and following proper cleanliness since they are born
• Understanding the symptoms of malnutrition and acting early on them.

By: Kiara Sharma

School: Mahaveer Public School

Class: 10th