Hunger and
undernutrition contribute to a number of negative health consequences:
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A
joint
analysis released by the Center on
Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University
and the Food Research and Action Center
(FRAC) shows how
hunger and obesity not only pose separate
and distinct health risks, but also can
co-exist in the same household. |
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According to FRAC's survey of families living below 185 percent of
poverty -- the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP)
-- hungry children suffer from two to four times as many individual
health problems, such as unwanted weight loss, fatigue, headaches,
irritability, inability to concentrate and frequent colds, as low-income
children whose families do not experience food shortages. This relationship
between hunger and health problems was unaffected by income. In other
words, hunger had a strong effect on children's health no matter what
the income level of their families. |
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According
to CCHIP, hungry children are more likely to be ill and absent from
school. |
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The
infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate quantity or
quality in the diet of the infant's mother. In 1996, the infant mortality
rate in the United States was 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. Black
infants in the U.S. died at more than twice the rate of white infants,
according to the National Center for Health Statistics. |
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Stunting
(low height for age) in children results from inadequate nutrition.
According to the U.S. Public Health Service, the Surgeon General's
1990 goal of eliminating growth retardation of infants and children
caused by inadequate diets was not met because significant numbers
of low-income children continued to suffer retarded growth. In 1992,
almost twice as many low-income children as would be expected were
short for their age. |
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Iron-deficiency
anemia in children can lead to adverse health effects such as developmental
and behavioral disturbances that can affect children's ability to
learn to read or do mathematics, and increased susceptibility to lead
poisoning. Anemia remains a significant health problem among low-income
children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. |
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Pregnant
women who are undernourished are more likely to have low-birthweight
babies. These infants are more likely to suffer delays in their development
and are more likely to have behavior and learning problems later in
life. |
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Hungry
children are less likely to interact with other people or explore
or learn from their surroundings. This interferes with their ability
to learn from a very early age. |
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Hunger
has a negative impact on children's ability to learn in school. School-aged
children who are hungry cannot concentrate or do as well as others
on the tasks they need to perform to learn the basics. Research indicates
that low-income children who participate in the School Breakfast Program
show an improvement in standardized test scores and a decrease in
tardiness and absenteeism compared to low-income students who do not
eat breakfast at school. |
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According
to the Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy,
evidence from recent research about child nutrition shows that, in
addition to having a detrimental effect on the cognitive development
of children, undernutrition results in lost knowledge, brainpower,
and productivity for the nation. |
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Hunger
and malnutrition exacerbate chronic and acute diseases and speed the
onset of degenerative diseases among the elderly. This not only leads
to an unnecessary decrease in the quality of life for many older people,
but also increases the cost of health care in the United States. National
data for people ages 65 to 75 show that a majority are not consuming
even two-thirds of the nutrients they need to stay healthy. |
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Hunger,
and insecurity about whether a family will be able to obtain enough
food to avoid hunger, also have an emotional impact on children
and their parents. Anxiety, negative feelings about self-worth,
and hostility towards the outside world can result from chronic
hunger and food insecurity.
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