Essay On Malnutrition In Children

Why are our children not receiving the essential nutrients in order to achieve mental and physical health? Today, in the U.S more children suffer from malnutrition due to dietary imbalances instead of nutritional deficiencies. Malnutrition is known as the condition in which the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are vital for the development of the person’s body in order to maintain healthy tissue and organ function. Not only can it affect people with low incomes but, it can also affect people who make poor choices like relying on fast food services to supplement their dietary needs. Low-income households base their food decisions on the preferences of their children in order to minimize waste and save money; children tend to reject unfamiliar foods causing low income families to not introduce new and potentially more nutritious produce to their offspring. According to recent studies of eating behavior, children often refuse unfamiliar foods 8 to 15 times before accepting them. The financial constraint of low income households may shape children’s taste acquisition in which can result in poor acquired eating habits. ”Psychologists posit …show more content…
The brain needs to acquire the right amount of nutrients in order to function properly and remain healthy. If the brain lacks these essential nutrients, it can affect a child’s emotional responses, they can struggle in reacting to stress, can develop disabilities, and other medical complications can arise. Many studies have been conducted where children have shown not only these types of affects from malnutrition, but even their motor skills can be affected tremendously. With all the available resources available in the united states and excess amount of food we have, children should not be kept malnourished especially when the public school system could improve their dietary plans in order to achieve greater overall health for