Your body needs at least 1,800 calories a day to stay healthy. While millions of people are fortunate enough to meet this requirement, many others aren’t. The latest Hunger Report from the UN reveals that around 8.1 million people worldwide are still malnourished in the 21st century. They don’t get the necessary nutrition to stay fit and healthy.
Although world hunger decreased steadily for almost a decade, it’s disheartening that the number of malnourished individuals jumped by 161 million between 2019 and 2020. Why did this happen?
Experts, including those from Anti Aging Ninjas, identify three main reasons: the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the loss of countless jobs across the globe, climate change, and political conflicts among nations.
Despite an increased focus on good nutrition over the past few decades, diseases related to poor nutrition have gone up. Experts believe multiple factors are contributing to declining nutrition levels in the 21st century:
In addition to these issues, surveys in countries facing significant nutrition challenges indicate that a decreased appetite is a common first symptom. Many people report that not having regular meals for years has led to a reduced desire to eat.
This isn’t just an issue for adults; children also say the same thing. They’ve become accustomed to eating less and often don’t know how much food they need to meet basic nutritional standards.
Not eating enough eventually impacts body weight. While some people intentionally eat less to lose weight, millions do so because they lack access to proper food, making weight loss another symptom of nutritional deficiency.
Compare a malnourished child to one who eats nutritious food daily, and you’ll notice a significant difference in their weights. This is why people suffering from malnutrition in various countries are often very slim.
A proper diet not only keeps you healthy and fit but also gives you the energy to work throughout the day. Without adequate food, you simply won’t have the same energy levels. This is the reality for people facing nutritional challenges.
They lack the vitality of healthy individuals, often needing rest after just a few hours of work because they don’t have enough nutrients to sustain their energy levels.
Despite these numerous nutrition challenges in the 21st century, there’s still time to make a change. Here are a few strategies to address these challenges:
World hunger and nutritional deficiencies are solvable if everyone works together and commits to making a difference. Small efforts in isolated areas won’t be enough to tackle the broader challenges of the 21st century.
