SCRIPT NUMBER 157
MALNUTRITION - 2
(TWO SPEAKERS)
PROGRAM NAME: HEALTH NUGGETS
PROGRAM TITLE: MALNUTRITION - 2
PROGRAM NUMBER: 157
SUBJECT: TYPES, CAUSES, PREVENTION OF MALNUTRITION
KEY WORDS: STARVATION, KWASHIORKOR, SCURVY, IMMUNE SYSTEM,
AIDS, PARASITES, BLUE ZONE, JUNK FOOD
DATE OF SCRIPT: MARCH 28, 2014
AUTHOR: RICHARD YUKL, MD, FACS
SPEAKER 1:
Aiman was a baby boy born to a poor couple living in
Malaysia. He was his mother’s firstborn child, and she loved him greatly. She
breastfed Aiman for almost six months, but once that was no longer possible,
there was little food available for him to eat. Because he couldn’t eat enough
food to satisfy his needs, he gained weight slowly, and he grew slower than other
babies. By the time of his second birthday, his belly had begun to swell, and he
had developed swelling in both legs. He became so weakened that, when he
stepped on a nail that cut his foot, he developed an infection his body couldn’t
successfully fight, and he died.
SPEAKER 2:
Today, we want to talk about malnutrition, the condition that
develops when one’s diet doesn’t contain enough calories, vitamins and minerals
for their body to function properly, or if one’s body can’t fully use the food that
was eaten because of an illness.
SPEAKER 1:
How dangerous is malnutrition?
SPEAKER 2:
The most severe form of malnutrition is starvation - one
simply doesn’t have enough food to eat. Calories and protein are our body’s fuel,
and in starvation, the diet lacks both. Starvation will cause weight loss, and
prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage, and eventually death.
SPEAKER 1:
Is malnutrition just another word for starvation?
SPEAKER 2:
No. Aside from starvation, there are less severe forms of
malnutrition. Around the world, millions of people develop malnutrition even
though they eat enough calories. They just don’t eat enough protein. Protein
malnutrition leads to the condition known as kwashiorkor. In kwashiorkor, you
lose weight and your muscles become weak. You develop generalized swelling,
and your abdomen becomes so enlarged, it can take on the appearance of being
pregnant. Your immune system weakens, so you suffer frequent infections,
sometimes resulting in death. It was kwashiorkor that caused Aiman’s death.
Still other causes of malnutrition include eating an unbalanced diet, one lacking
an essential vitamin or mineral. As an example, a disease called scurvy results
from a lack of vitamin C in the diet. The body needs vitamin C to absorb iron, and
if one’s diet is lacking in fruit and vegetables, their vitamin C level can become so
low that bruising and bleeding become a problem. Wounds heal slowly. Infants or
children who don’t eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables are especially prone to
scurvy, as are the elderly and people addicted to alcohol.
Yet other causes of malnutrition include chronic diseases such as cancer of the
gut, AIDS infection and intestinal parasites. In these diseases, the body loses its
ability to use the calories, vitamins and minerals that were eaten. People with
drug or alcohol addictions are at increased risk because they tend to eat poorly
for long periods of time, and their ability to use nutrients is damaged by the
effects of the alcohol or drugs.
SPEAKER 1:
How deadly is malnutrition?
SPEAKER 2:
Six million children die every year of starvation alone. The
World Health Organization considers malnutrition in all its forms as the single
greatest threat to the health of people both young and old. Approximately 14% of
the world’s population is malnourished. Nearly half of all children now living in
Southeast Asia suffer from chronic malnutrition, and that can cause death as it
did in Aiman.
SPEAKER 1:
So, what can I do to prevent malnutrition in my children and
in myself?
SPEAKER 2:
God created the ideal diet to prevent early childhood
malnutrition. Mother’s milk is an almost perfect food for infants. Mothers should
breastfeeding their baby for at least six months if that is possible. Following
infancy, medical science is coming to understand that people can prevent
malnutrition by carefully selecting the foods they eat. There are areas of the
world that have been called “Blue Zones”, where people live longer and healthier
lives than normal. Scientists, attempting to explain the reasons for this better
health and longer life, have studied “Blue Zones” extensively. They have found
that people living in these areas share several things in common.
They live active lives, remaining active even when they grow older. They reduce
their stress by remaining involved with others living in their community, and by
keeping close family ties. They understand their lives have purpose because they
maintain strong spiritual beliefs. Interestingly, people living in Blue Zones eat
diets that contain lots of raw, unprocessed foods and few animal products. They
eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
Unfortunately, in recent times, people in many countries around the world have
gone in exactly the opposite direction, trending towards what is called a Western,
or “junk food” diet, a diet that contains few raw, unprocessed foods such as fresh
fruit, vegetables, whole grains or nuts. Instead, their diet is high in saturated fats,
calories and sugar. Their diet is made up of foods such as fried, red meat and
dairy products, salty snack foods, candy and carbonated beverages. This type of
diet has been linked to the diseases common to many countries of the world –
obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and stroke, diabetes
and cancer of the colon and rectum.
The lesson we can learn from Blue Zones is that we can lower our risk of
malnutrition and stay healthier by eating diets high in raw, unprocessed foods
and low in animal products. You should limit the amount of meats and junk food
you eat, eating plenty of the raw fruit, highly colored vegetables, whole grains
and nuts instead. They are healthier for you and less expensive than the meatbased, high fat foods that have become so popular around the world.
SPEAKER 1:
Health Nuggets is written by Dr. Richard Yukl, a medical
doctor working in the United States. The medical views expressed in this
program are his and may differ for your particular health needs. If you need
medical advice, please consult a medical professional in your area.