PHILIPPINES
Southeast Asian country known as the Republic of the Philippines is made up of a number of islands. After centuries of colonial rule by the Spanish and the United States, the Philippines attained freedom in 1946. However, it is still battling the impact that prolonged colonial rule had on its population. On these islands, poverty persists despite numerous government initiatives to address it. There are various regions of the Philippines where over 75 percent of the population lives in poverty, despite the fact that just over 20 percent of the population as a whole is considered to be poor. Malnutrition in the Philippines is one of the greatest obstacles this community faces, despite the fact that there are other variables that contribute to continuing cycles of poverty.
BACKGROUND ON MALNUTRITION
Malnutrition occurs when a person does not consume enough nutrients, either because of a lack of food or a bad diet. This may result in stunted growth in kids. Additionally, it can result in severe health problems for people of all ages. These medical conditions can be persistent, which makes it challenging for people to find and keep stable employment. These problems can also result in young children becoming orphans, which feeds the poverty cycle.
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MALNUTRION IN THE PHILIPPINES
95 kids in the Philippines pass away from malnutrition per day. Out of 1,000 Filipino children, 27% do not live past the age of five. Filipino children make up one-third of the world’s short for age population. After the age of two, stunting can be lethal, permanent, and irreversible.
One of the most severe consequences of poverty in the Philippines is hunger. Filipinos must survive on a relatively meager diet since they have little money to buy food. Even when food supplies are reliable, they are more easily accessible in other regions where people have the means to buy food.
And because of the extreme inequality in income distribution, there is less need for food supply in less developed areas with high concentrations of low-income people. Food quality is also deteriorating; rice, which was formerly the primary food source for Filipinos, has mostly been replaced by instant noodles, which are less expensive but less wholesome. Malnutrition has consequently become much more widespread.
FACTORS OF MALNUTRITION IN THE PHILIPPINES
POPULATION
Half the population suffers from malnutrition-related conditions — In the Philippines, about 50 percent of the population suffers from anemia caused by iron deficiency. Large percentages of people suffer from other malnutrition-related ailments. Such ailments lead to fatigue and decreased immune function.
GROWTH
Stunted growth is common — One in three children in the Philippines has had their growth stunted by malnutrition. If this stunting occurs after two years of age, there is a chance it can be irreversible and even fatal.
EDUCATION
Lack of education causes malnutrition symptoms to go unnoticed — Signs of malnutrition are often missed in the Philippines due to a lack of education the public receives on nutrition. A child with a large stomach may not be perceived as having a nutritional deficiency. However, a distended stomach is often an indicator that something is amiss.
ECONOMY
Malnutrition is bad for the economy — People who experience stunting due to malnutrition tend to have far lower incomes than those who did not. This is also the case for families who have lost a child due to malnutrition. Overall, malnutrition takes away approximately $328 billion dollars, or 3 percent, of the Philippines’ GDP per year.
CHILDREN
Children’s Hour is helping families — A nonprofit organization called Children’s Hour has set up across the country. The organization focuses on ending malnutrition in the Philippines. They do this by providing meals for families, as well as teaching them about healthy practices in eating and preparing food. When they began these programs, 90 to 95 percent of participants were undernourished. Now, 75 percent of the children are at a healthy weight. While this organization has made massive strides, it is a nonprofit with limited funding. For this program to expand, it would need a lot more funding.
Charts and Datas
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WHAT CAUSES MALNUTRITION IN THE PHILIPPINES?
POVERTY
One of the most severe consequences of poverty in the Philippines is hunger. Filipinos must survive on a relatively meager diet since they have little money to buy food. Even when food supplies are reliable, they are more easily accessible in other regions where people have the means to buy food.
LACK OF EDUCATION
According to the data gathered, 90.9 percent of Filipino children aged 10 appear to be in a situation of learning poverty, while 90.4 percent are classified as suffering from learning deprivation. Additionally, 5 percent of Filipino children at that age are still unschooled. Therefore, not having knowledge about nutrition.
POOR DIETS
According to WHO, overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Obese children and adolescents may also suffer from both short-term and long-term health consequences. Factors contributing to the increasing problem of overweight and obesity include poor diets, inadequate nutrition, and failing food systems.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?
WEIGHT LOSS
Common signs of malnutrition include: unintentional weight loss – losing 5% to 10% or more of weight over 3 to 6 months is one of the main signs of malnutrition. a low body weight – people with a body mass index (BMI) under 18.5 are at risk of being malnourished
WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM
Poor diet: Malnutrition or a diet lacking in one or more nutrients can impair the production and activity of immune cells and antibodies. Chronic diseases: Autoimmune and immunodeficiency disorders attack and potentially disable immune cells.
STARVATION
Once we've eaten enough food to satisfy our bodies' needs, hunger goes away until our stomachs are empty again. Malnutrition is not the same thing as hunger, although they often go together. People who are chronically malnourished lack the nutrients needed for proper health and development.
WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
OPTION FOR THE POOR
The Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Program is a human resource development strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, which involves the recruitment, training, deployment and supervision of volunteer workers called the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS).
PROPER DIET
People should consciously know that there is no single food containing all the nutrients that we need. Thus, the recommendation is to eat a variety of food to ensure that daily nutritional needs are met. Vegetables and fruits are the primary sources of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber; while milk is a good source of calcium.
EXERCISE
Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, malnutrition is a big issue in the Philippines, malnutrition is caused by poverty, poor nutrition, lack of natural resources, lack of basic health education, and lack of awareness of Filipinos in the country. There are many negative factors of malnutrition, if these problems are not yet solved, it will have negative effects in the people, country, and in the world today and in the future. The most essential element or component for leading a successful life is our health. Therefore, we must take all necessary steps to stop infectious diseases from entering our bodies. To live normally and peacefully, one simply needs to protect themselves against malnutrition.
ERRISHA MAE LUIS
From my point of view, Malnutrition is a dangerous disorder that occurs when your diet lacks adequate nutrients and can relate to undernutrition (not obtaining adequate nutrients). Overnutrition is defined as receiving more nutrients than necessary either as a result of a poor diet or problems absorbing nutrients from food. The reason why malnutrition is developing is because of extreme poverty and lack of basic health education in parents. Especially in the incompetent countries like the Philippines, Somalia and Africa.
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So in my opinion, the solution in malnutrition are modifications in diet, such as consuming meals high in energy and nutrients Family support to assist parents in managing issues impacting their child’s nutritional intake. malnutrition therapy for any underlying medical conditions Supplemental vitamins and minerals or in other word you can prevent malnutrition by a balanced diet is the most effective strategy to prevent malnutrition. If your appetite is low, strive for three modest meals and two to three snacks each day. Drink after your meal, not before or during it, as this might fill you up.
OUR OPININONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE
JOHN ABRAHAM ORTEGA
For me, malnutrition is a serious condition that happens when our body does not contain right amounts of nutrients, and when you’re underweight you can easily obtain diseases such as anemia, marasmus, Kwashiorkor but anemia is the most common malnutrition diseases and Malnutrition can make a person more susceptible to infection.
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And I want to stop malnutrition because a lot of children in the Philippines died because of malnutrition and sadly they 27 out of 1000 Filipino children do not get past on their 5th birthday and we can overcome this issue by donating food to charity to feed orphaned children and and give food to street children to overcome hunger so that they do not lack nutrients in the body
OUR OPININONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE
CYMON JIAN CERVANTES
Based on my opinion, malnutrition is a serious case in the world, especially in the Philippines from many past years due to poverty, lack of natural resources, lack of basic health education, and overpopulation. Filipinos should eat proper healthy foods in order to maintain nutrition in their body, but unfortunately, most Filipinos are financially unstable or in poverty to afford basic foods to eat.
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For me, the government should have the action to solve malnutrition in the Philippines by providing the citizens basic health education and providing proper foods to the people, and also provide basic sex education to reduce overpopulation in the country that will lead to poverty and hunger in order to solve malnutrition in the Philippines. Not just the government that has to do the action, but also the Filipinos should have the responsibility to eat proper foods and have proper nutrition because health is important in our lives.
OUR OPININONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE
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