Global Nutrition

Inadequate food intake

- 870 million adults and children

Hunger in the US

- In 2015, 13% of Americans were food insecure, with approximately 8% living in low food security and 5% living in very low food security. - over 42 million people live in food-insecure households - 29 million adults, 13 million children More likely to be hungry: • Households with children, especially if a single woman is the head of the household; • Households that live at 185% of the poverty threshold; • Hispanic families and black, non-Hispanic families; • Households living in metropolitan areas; and • Households in the southern and western regions of the country, including the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas.

Genetic modification

- altering an organism's genetic material in an effort to create a new organism with different traits; also called genetic engineering

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

- assistance program that enables qualified low-income participants to use monthly cash allotments and a special debit card to purchase foods from authorized stores

Food deserts

- deserts regions or areas in which a large proportion of those living there experience difficulty in obtaining nutritious food - with numerous low-income people living farther than 0.5 miles away from grocery stores in urban areas or farther than 10 miles away from grocery stores in rural areas.

Iodine

- essential for metabolism and thyroid function - deficiency: goiter, during pregnancy can result in intellectual disabilities in the developing fetus (cretinism) - The average intelligence quotient, or IQ score, is as much as 13 points higher in countries with populations that have adequate dietary iodine status versus countries with populations that experience widespread deficiencies of the mineral. - present in dairy and seafood, fortified salt

Zinc

- important for immunity, sexual maturation in adolescents - fetus has high demand for zinc - zinc supplements help with diarrhea - found in animal foods, and grains (though grains also contain phytic acid that limits absorption)

Vitamin A deficiency

- important for immunity, vision, reproduction, cell growth - leading cause of night blindness and xerophthalmia - can be addressed through twice a year supplementation - golden rice biofortified with vitamin A

Maternal undernutrition

- increased risk of delivering a LBW baby - babies with LBW more likely to die before 1 year - likely linked to high rates of other ailments later in life - 1/5 of maternal deaths caused by iron deficiency anemia and stunting in pregnant women

Biotechnology

- involves the use of living things—plants, animals, and microbes— to manufacture new products. Biotechnology in agriculture can include the use of both traditional practices, such as cross-breeding of plants and animals, and progressive practices, such as the alteration of genes. - use of living things to produce new products - Genetic modification - new crops that supply higher yields, resist pests and diseases, drought tolerant, can handle temperature extremes, nutritionally enhanced - can be modified to be resistant to a certain herbicide, which leads to higher herbicide use

Iron deficiency

- most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world - needed for hemoglobin development, oxygen delivery to the brain and muscles - pregnancy increases need to build placenta and fetus - iron rich foods include: red meats, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified cereal grains - Women with iron-deficiency anemia are at greater risk for serious complications during childbirth, including hemorrhage, or uncontrolled bleeding, which can be deadly. According to health experts, maternal mortality rates could be decreased significantly with appropriate iron supplementation during pregnancy.

Under 5 mortality rate

- number of newborns in a population, per 100 live births, who are likely to die before they reach give years of age

Hunger

- physiological need for food

Food insecurity

- state in which individuals are concerned about running out of food of not having enough money to buy more food

Food security

- state in which individuals have access to enough food at all times ot lead a healthy, active life

Food security classification

1. High food security includes individuals who experience no concerns or problems with purchasing enough food. 2. Marginal food security includes individuals who may experience some anxiety or worry regarding their ability to purchase enough food; however, they make little to no changes in the quality or quantity of their food intake. 3. Low food security includes individuals who experience reduced nutritional quality of their diet due to a limited ability to purchase enough nutrient dense food. 4. Very low food security includes individuals who experience reductions in both the quality and quantity of their diet due to an inability to purchase enough food.

Overweight or obese

1.9 billion people

single most effective intervention for reducing complications of undernutrition on a global scale

Eliminating both vitamin A and zinc deficiencies

Golden rice

Genetically modified rice that produces edible beta-carotene, which the body can turn into vitamin A

High food security

High food security includes individuals who experience no concerns or problems with purchasing enough food.

Low food security

Low food security includes individuals who experience reduced nutritional quality of their diet due to a limited ability to purchase enough nutrient dense food.

marginal food security

Marginal food security includes individuals who may experience some anxiety or worry regarding their ability to purchase enough food; however, they make little to no changes in the quality or quantity of their food intake

Fortification

The addition of nutrients that are not naturally present to foods - foods selected to be fortified should be those that are commonly consumed and relatively inexpensive so that low-income individuals can afford them (wheat, maize, cereals, vegetable oils, milk)

Very low food security

Very low food security includes individuals who experience reductions in both the quality and quantity of their diet due to an inability to purchase enough food.

malnutrition

bad-nutrition - state of health that results from improper nourishment - lack of nutrients (undernutrition) - excessive amounts of nutrients (over nutrition) - can be caused by: poor diet, disease, medication, poor sanitation, parasite, traditions, conflict/unrest, disease

xerophthalmia

drying of eye surfaces including the conjunctiva; also known as dry eye

sustainable agriculture

farming methods that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment while meeting the demand for food - need to sustainably intensify

genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

new organisms created by altering the genetic material (DNA) of existing organisms; usually in an attempt to remove undesirable or create desirable characteristics in the new organism.

Leading risk factor for undernutrition

poverty in the global south and north

Stunting

reduced size as a consequence of chronic undernutrition in infancy and childhood - short height for age - comes with reduced cognitive ability

ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs)

shelf-stable foods fortified with calories, protein, and micronutrients that are used for the treatment of undernutrition

chronic undernutrition

state of undernutrition occurring when energy and nutrient intakes are insufficient to meet an individual's needs over an extended period of time - especially harmful during periods of rapid growth, pregnancy, infancy, childhood, elderly