Nutrition experts emphasize that malnutrition is not exclusive to children from impoverished families in the country even the offspring of the affluent are affected.
While economically disadvantaged individuals are more naive to various forms of malnutrition, children from affluent homes face a higher risk of being overweight and obese, bent towards consuming less nutritious yet expensive fast food.
Nutrition professionals highlighted that children of wealthier families are more prone to sedentary lifestyles, influenced by technological advancements.
Nwabumma Asouzu, a registered Dietitian-Nutritionist at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, stressed the need to recognize malnutrition as a dual challenge, affecting both the poor and the rich.
Asouzu explained Malnutrition has two spectrums. Undernutrition and overnutrition, which is mostly due to macro-nutrient deficiency, i.e., inadequate diet.
The poor are grappling with undernutrition, and the rich are grappling with overnutrition.”
She underscored that the issue often lies not in affordability but in awareness, calling for education on recommended dietary diversity and locally available food for a balanced diet.
Asouzu pointed out that social media contributes to misguided food choices among parents, exacerbating the child malnutrition burden in the country.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently raised an alarm, stating that Nigeria loses approximately 100 children per hour due to malnutrition, translating to about 2,400 deaths daily.
UNICEF’s Chief Nutrition Officer in Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy, highlighted that poor diet affects one-third of children in Nigeria, with the first 1,000 days of a child’s life offering a crucial opportunity for preventing undernutrition.
Asouzu emphasized the vulnerability of women, infants, children, and adolescents to malnutrition, emphasizing the importance of optimizing nutrition in the early stages of life.
The multifaceted causes of malnutrition, including lack of nutritional knowledge, poor complementary feeding practices, and sedentary lifestyles among children from affluent homes, underscore the urgency of comprehensive awareness campaigns to address this pervasive issue in the world.
