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Malnutrition

Malnutrition usually refers to the lack of nutritious food or essential nutrients in the body. The food that humans and other living beings eat to sustain life is called food. Nutrition is the process by which food is digested and refined in the organism and spreads to other cells of the body, helping the body to grow, maintain and produce energy. The human body cannot develop healthily and vigorously without a balanced diet from an early age. A balanced diet is one in which the essential nutrients of the human body are found in sugars, fats, carbs, mineral salts, vitamins, and water. Malnutrition or malnutrition occurs when the human body does not get these nutrients according to its needs. Bangladesh is a poor and populous country of the third world. Most of the people in this country are illiterate. It goes without saying that they have no knowledge about nutrition. Knowledge of nutrition is essential to keep health healthy and functional.

Cause of Malnutrition in Bangladesh

Malnutrition is one of the major obstacles to the national development of Bangladesh. This malnutrition has been identified as a serious national problem. This has been proven through various research activities and nationwide nutrition surveys. The results of a nutrition survey conducted by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Dhaka University in 1981-82, show that 75% of children up to 11 years of age suffer from severe malnutrition. 13% of children are underweight and underweight at the same time. These children are prone to various types of malnutrition. These children die prematurely due to a lack of proper treatment and food. 63% of children up to 5 years of age suffer from anemia in 75% of adolescents 6/14 years of age, 74% of normal women, and 60% of adults. About 10% of the people in this country, especially women, suffer from iodine deficiency. The following are some of the basic causes of

Malnutrition in Bangladesh:

1. Economic reasons:

Most of the people in our country are poor. Due to lack of money, he cannot collect and receive the required food despite his desire and demand. They are deprived of the light of education due to a lack of money. As a result, they are ignorant about the nutrition of food.

2. Ignorance about food:

Due to lack of adequate food and ignorance, Bengalis satisfy their hunger with whatever they can get their hands on. But there is a close relationship between food and keeping the body healthy. Due to ignorance and prejudice, we do not accept even though we have a lot of nutritious food in our hands. Many people do not know what to eat to maintain health.

3. Population explosion:

Overpopulation is one of the causes of malnutrition. Due to the large size of the family, it is not possible for the family members to get proper education, proper treatment, and a balanced diet according to the needs of the body, as a result of which they become malnourished.

4. Defective cooking method:

The women of our country are completely ignorant about the cooking method. Chopping and washing before cooking wastes a lot of vitamins during washing. Again, during cooking, keeping the food uncovered without keeping it high, also destroys the vitamins in the food. In order to make the food more palatable, they use more oil and spices and keep it hot for longer, which results in loss of nutritional value of the food.

5. Unequal distribution:

In our country, especially in rural areas, boys are given more food than girls because of boy love, that is, if a boy can be brought up in a healthy way, then he will be able to take the helm of the family. It is often seen that the fish head is given to the guardian of the house without giving it to any boy or girl.

6. Maternal indifference:

Ignorance and indifference of mothers about food are also some of the reasons behind malnutrition in children. After birth, the baby is completely dependent on the mother. If the mother is not aware of what to feed the baby, how to feed it, when to give supplementary food, etc., then the child will admit malnutrition.

7. Eating Luxury:

Eating too much food and consuming too much cow’s food can cause various diseases in the body. For example heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.

8. Hygiene:

Most mothers in our country feed their children without washing their hands and face. They are not taught much about cleanliness. As a result, by eating rotten, open, stale food with unclean hands, they become weakened by various diseases and become malnourished.

9. Low cost of food:

Due to the high cost of daily necessities including vegetables and fish meat, it is not possible for the lower and middle-class people to consume the required protein and calorie-rich food. As a result, they suffer from malnutrition due to a lack of protein and calories.

Protein, calorie deficiency malnutrition is seen in most children in tropical countries. Diseases that usually occur in the body due to lack of essential nutrients are Kwashiorkor, Ratkana, Marsmas, Beriberi, Eye Diseases, Scurvy, Anemia, Goiter, etc. All these diseases are due to malnutrition. The problem of malnutrition should not be neglected under any circumstances. WHO, FAO, UNICEF, etc. are trying to solve this problem. We have to come forward to solve this problem ourselves.