platepledge the impact of nutrition

8/22/2019 Platepledge the Impact of Nutrition

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Despite the act that we live in an auent country with a statutory childprotection service, children in the UK are still suering extreme neglectand malnutrition. Its unacceptable, but children are still dying romsevere malnutrition, as was highlighted by the tragic case o 7 yr oldKhyra Ishaq.

Latest fgures reveal that 4 million children in the UK live in low incomehouseholds with over hal o children in some London boroughs living inpoverty. (endchildpoverty.org, 2012) Children living in poverty oten battle

with the added stress o material deprivation and unstable emotionallives, circumstances that leave them particularly at risk o malnutrition.Amongst hospitalised children in the U.K its been ound that 16% wereseverely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk o severe malnutrition.(Textbook o Paediatrics, 2003)

Kids Companys support reaches thousands o children who have or areexperiencing malnutrition, hunger or ood insecurity.

The Impact of Malnutrition onChildrens Physical and Mental

Development

what is the problem

Food insecurity is term used to describe the limited or uncertainavailability o nutritionally adequate and sae ood or limited oruncertain ability to acquire ood in socially acceptable ways. Childrenwho experience ood insecurity may get good quality ood some othe time and none or poor quality ood at other times. Researchhas demonstrated that children who are hungry are more sociallydysunctional than children who are not hungry. In addition childrenexperiencing ood insecurity are more likely to engage in fghting andstealing behaviours than other children. (Kleinman et al, 1998) Otherstudies have associated ood insecurity with problem behaviours inschool aged children as well as being a source o amily stress thatnegatively aects parenting behaviours and child reactions. Furtherevidence rom research has ound that hungry children are more likely to

be receiving special education services, score higher on aggression andirritability scales and more likely to struggle with academic achievement.(Dunion & Kowaleski, 2003)

what is food insecurity



Malnutrition is not the same as hunger, although they oten go together.Malnutrition is insufcient, excessive or imbalanced consumption oprotein, energy or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

There are two types o malnutrition;

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) arises due inadequate intake ocalories rom proteins, such as fsh and meat, and vitamins and minerals,such as zinc, iron and vitamin A.

Micro-malnutrition reers to mineral and vitamin defciency.

Both these conditions can have serious negative consequences orphysical and mental health.

w ?

At worst severe malnutrition leads to death. The WHO currently attributemore than one third o child mortality to malnutrition making it the leadingcause o child death worldwide. For survivors, chronic malnourishment,both short and long term, leaves the body lacking the nutrients or properhealth and development and vulnerable to inection and disease.

The physical eects o malnutrition include;

Fatigue, low energy and dizziness.

Swollen, bleeding gums and decaying teeth.

Underweight, muscle weakness and poor growth.

Poor immune unction leaving the body vulnerable to inection.

Problems with organ unction, that may lead to disease states such asCoronary Heart Disease or Osteoporosis

Insulin-resistance resulting rom a diet with low nutritional value, eg highats and sugar content, can result in Diabetes.

Diseases such as Marasmus and Obesity result rom under, or over,eating respectively.

Poor cognitive unctions such as learning memory and attention.

Cancer risk is increased by eating certain oods and additives that arehigh in carcinogens.

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I a pregnant woman is malnourished, her child may weigh less atbirth and have a lower chance o survival. Low birth weight babies arepredisposed to many health and development problems. ailure tothrive is a common term used in child medicine to describe an inant,or childs, inadequate growth rate. This can be due to premature birthand co-existing chronic illness however, neglect and poverty are otenthe causal actors. I not addressed, ailure to thrive is a risk actor orlong term physical and mental defcits.

what is malnutrition?



Malnutrition not only harms the body but leaves an imprint on the mindso those who survive it. Research has revealed that poor diet during earlydevelopment (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory defcits, lower IQ andschool achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence

(Mcgregor, (1995), Lui et al, 2005).

There has also been links between ood defciencies and mental healthproblems in young people. Conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorderand Schizophrenia, seem to involve unctional defciencies o certainhighly unsaturated atty acids, such as Omega-3 (Richardson et al., 2005).Furthermore, researchers have ound that antisocial behavior in prisons, includingviolence, can be reduced by supplementing diets with vitamins, minerals andessential atty acids (Gesch et al., 2002). This research provides importantevidence or the benefcial eects, both to individuals and society, o ensuringthat our children receive the nutrition they deserve.

w k?

Malnutrition aects people o every age, although inants, children, andadolescents may suer the most because many nutrients are critical ornormal growth and development.

A survey carried out on behal o the Food Standards Agency o the UKsmost materially deprived households on low incomes highlights that childrenand teenagers growing up in impoverished and disturbed circumstances areparticularly at risk o poor diet and nutritional status (LINDS, 2007).

Major barriers to a healthy diet include;

Material deprivation.

Abuse and neglect.

Substance abuse.

Parents and care givers who experiencing psychiatric, emotional and learningdifculties.

Parent and care-givers with poor awareness o good nutrition.

The most recent data on the dietary patterns, nutritional intakes and status,and physical activity levels o British children is provided by the Governments

National Child Measurement Programme published in 2010. The surveyo school children reported that nearly a quarter o children aged 4-5 areoverweight rising to one in three or children aged 10-11. The survey recorded11,317 children in England as being underweight. With more in Year 6 (1.3%)than in Reception Class (0.9%) possibly highlighting the difculties acedby adolescents who require sustained and reliable nutrition whilst they arerapidly developing. There is no data whatsoever or children living below theradar such as those who attend Kids Company, many o whom have eitherbeen excluded rom school or have never attended. We observe substantiallyhigher levels o obesity and low weight mostly due to chronic deprivation,maltreatment and the stress this causes.

impact on brain development

For urther inormation o on healthdiet and nutrition visit:

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/lie

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children


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Reerences:

Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review o Studies o the Eect o SevereMalnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal o Nutrition. 125:2233S-2238S

Richardson, A.J. (2003) The role o omega 3 atty acids in behaviour, cognitionand mood. Scandinavian Journal o Nutrition. 47(2) 92-98

Gesch B.C., Hammond S.M., Hampson A. E. & Crowder M.J. (2002). Inuenceo supplementary vitamins, minerals and essential atty acids on the antisocialbehavior o young adult prisoners. Randomised, placebo-controlled trial. BritishJournal o Psychiatry, 181, 22-28

Martorell R. (1997) Undernutrition during pregnancy and early childhoodand its consequences or cognitive and behavioral development. Early ChildDevelopment: Investing in Our Childrens Future. Amsterdam, the Netherlands:Elsevier; 1997:3983

Textbook o Paediatrics, 6th Edition Forar and Arneil 2003 Churchill LivingstoneISBN 0443071926

Kleinman et al, Paediatrics 101(1),e3, 1998

Dunion & Kowaleski, The inuences o participation in the national school lunchprogram and ood insecurity on child well being, Social Service Review, 77(1),72-92, 2003

Lui J., Raine A.D., Venables, P.H.,& Mednick S.A.(2004). Malnutrition at Age 3Years and Externalizing Behavior Problems at Ages 8, 11, and 17 Years. AmericanJournal o Psychiatry. 161:20052013

Department or Work and Pensions, Households Below Average Income: ananalysis o the income distribution 1994/95-2006/07, National Statistics, 2008.

Gregory J,Collins DL,Davies PSW,Hughes JM,Clarke PC.National Diet andNutrition Survey: children aged 1 to 4 years.London:HMSO,1995.

Gregory, J., Lowe, S., Bates C. et al. 2000. National diet and nutrition survey:young people aged 4 to 18 years. Volume 1: Report o the diet and nutritionsurvey. The Stationery Ofce:

London.http://www.ood.gov.uk/science/dietarysurveys/lidnsbranch/

Shor, S., (2011) Children at risk or Poor Nutrition: Expanding the approach o

uture proessionals in educational institutions. Child Abuse and Neglect 35,606-612

National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2009/10 school year, NHSInormation Centre, Dept o Health, 2010

A healthy, balanced diet is essential or optimal growth anddevelopment, and healthy tissue and organ unction. Whilst malnutritioncan have severely damaging consequences or health and wellbeing,

scientifc research demonstrates that improving the nutritional status opoorly nourished children can have therapeutic eects. It is importantthat we recognize this need and stop hunger rom ruining the lives oour most vulnerable children.

Kids Company is committed to supporting the emotional and practicalneeds o vulnerable children and to campaigning or the way in whichvulnerable children are supported throughout the U.K. Kids Companyare working with other third sector organisations such as FARESHAREthe TRUSSELL TRUST and The School Food Trust to help reduce thenutritional aspect impact o poverty and deprivation.

www.areshare.org.uk

www.trusselltrust.org

what can be done?

platepledge the impact of nutrition

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