Malnutrition Effects

Malnutrition should be attended to immediately. 

Do you know that if this will not be checked early among adolescents, it will lead to serious problems? Some of these problems are:

 Slow growth and development
 Poor school performance
 Sluggishness and fatigue
 Poor nutrition in adulthood
 Delay in the onset of secondary sex characteristics

The Case of Micronutrient Deficiencies

Micronutrient deficiencies are diseases caused by deficiency of vitamins or minerals in the diet. The most common micronutrient deficiencies not only in our country but also in the whole world are Vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia and iodine deficiency disorders.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) primarily affects children but the effects last a lifetime. It causes night blindness and, and later on, permanent blindness (xerophthalmia). The child suffering from VAD does not reach optimum physical growth and is prone to infections, that contributes to the high rates of sickness and
death among young children. VAD can be prevented by regular consumption of vitamin A-rich foods, such as animal products, and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables, and palm oil.

Anaemia and iron deficiency Anemia is a condition in which the red blood cell count or hemoglobin is less than normal. It affects mostly adolescent girls women of child-bearing age and pre-school children. Anemia results in retarded physical growth, low resistance to infections and slow development of learning abilities. In
adults it causes fatigue and reduced work capacity and may cause reproductive impairment. Foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, legumes and red meat are rich in iron, as are iron-fortified food products.

Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) results from lack of iodine in the diet. Iodine is needed for the
production of thyroid hormone. The body does not make iodine, so you should get iodine in your diet.

Iodine rich foods are—
Breads Iodized table salt
Cheese Saltwater fish
Cow’s milk Seaweed
Eggs Shellfish
Frozen yogurt Soy milk
Ice cream Soy sauce

Iodine deficiency can lead to enlargement of the thyroid or goiter, hypothyroidism and to
mental retardation in infants and children whose mothers lacked iodine when they were pregnant.

IDD is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation. In severe cases it can
lead to deaf-mutism, cretinism and other serious disorders, as well as reproductive impairment,
which results in miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects.