CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY - “MALNUTRITION – ITS CAUSES IN DEPTH”

Malnutrition is a complex condition wherein there is no exemption of whoever will be affected by it. However, children ranging from ages 2 to 10 are those who are hardly affected. Based on researches (malnutrition.org), hunger, micronutrient deficiency and over-consumption are the three primary causes of malnutrition which affects almost 4.4 billion people worldwide, with 6 million dying each year. This essay will try to uncover how the said causes result in malnutrition.

Hunger is a cause of malnutrition; however, there is also a cause behind it – poverty. As we all know, our world is prone to suffer malnutrition. Moreover, according to an online article titled “Malnutrition Matters” (malnutrition.org), it is most devastating when it attacks children. Not only their physical growth will be affected but it may also affect their mental growth. In relation to this, the poverty cycle will worsen since it is a hindrance in having a better foundation of the mind, thus, the less they are to have better opportunities for work later on. Hunger also affects adults for it impedes our productivity, and worse, it creates a host of associated health problems like stress and anxiety disorders, ulcer and mental disorders among others.

Another cause of malnutrition is the deficiency in micronutrients – these are nutrients needed by our body which we have to take only in small amounts. In this condition, it is either inadequate amounts of vitamins are received or they are not having the correct proportion of proteins in their diets (malnutrition.org). What makes it even harder for people to treat and diagnose is that it takes years for health symptoms to manifest. Results of this deficiency are lost productivity and major increase in health care costs which in turn, negatively affects our government’s efforts to develop our way of life.



The last primary cause of malnutrition to be discussed is over-consumption. Malnutrition may be a state of undernourishment or overnourishment, thus, the latte makes over-consumption one of the primary causes. It is referred to as taking in calories more than what was required (dictionary.com). In some cases, it is also accompanied by a deficiency in vitamins and minerals. What makes the situation worse is that there are food companies which offer consumers some products which are highly affordable but are often inadequate nutrition required. The result of over-consumption is obesity. Moreover, it is a fast-growing segment of the world’s population. But the irony of this condition is that these people who are experiencing obesity often live at hunger-prevalent countries like the United States.

Malnutrition is certainly one of the major problems our world leaders currently face and it is truly a difficult one to solve. But still, we must not lose hope that there will come a time when we can completely overcome the situation. What we have to do now is to work hand-in-hand in promoting increased awareness towards malnutrition and its causes. One solution which is highly promoted today is mass feeding in areas where malnutrition is highly prevalent. What is good to know is that there are major organizations worldwide which are highly influential which support advocacies like this. One of which is UNICEF. So giving up is not an option, rather cooperate with everyone towards a healthier and much happier world.


Reference List:
Malnutrition Matters.(n.d). Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.malnutrition.org/malnutrition.htm

REFLECTION:
I find this essay a bit harder than the previous essays because there are so much factors to consider which must be written also in this essay but space is limited, so what I did is to choose the 3 most intense factors among all. Good thing, the outcome is good and I explained well what I want to tell my readers. =)