Malnutrition is a clinical condition that occurs when there is a deficiency or excess of essential nutrients. We are used to associating the word malnutrition with the lack of food and the low-income population, who do not have the resources to maintain a healthy diet. balanced, but genetic and environmental factors and the lack of information about food and nutrition are also to blame for most cases of malnutrition in our country.
Nowadays, our daily routine demands a lot of time from us and, therefore, we end up eating poorly, with food industrialized products that are easier to prepare and without nutrients that can meet our energy and nutritional demand daily. The high consumption of high-fat foods in general and processed foods rich in sugar and sodium and the decrease in the consumption of cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and greens favor the development of malnutrition, which can cause metabolism problems, favoring the onset of cardiovascular and hypertension.
At the Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo, some studies found that 49% of patients who were hospitalized with symptoms of other diseases were diagnosed as malnourished. “It is common for some patients hospitalized with anemia, cholesterol problems, among other symptoms, to discover that they are also malnourished. This is due to bad eating habits. The lack of vitamins and nutrients and carelessness with nutrition, as well as the lack of physical exercise, favor the emergence of nutritional diseases that could be prevented with simple dietary education measures and with the availability of more information on food and nutrition”, says Dr. José Eduardo Dutra de, nutriologist, member of the Brazilian Association of Nutrology (ABRAN), Oliveira.
Surveys carried out among the Brazilian population show that approximately 10% to 15% of Brazilians have malnutrition caused by lack of access to food in appropriate quantity and quality, and that, on average, 60% of the population has an eating nutritional disorder because they consume foods poor in essential nutrients, with 40% of the population having a chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, circulatory and respiratory diseases chronic.
"Eating at least three times a day at defined times, ingesting balanced amounts of various nutrients, giving preference to colorful dishes, with a wide variety of foods and eating meals in quiet environments are initiatives that, in addition to preventing malnutrition, can ensure better nutrition and quality of life for the Brazilian population”, emphasizes Dr. Oliveira.
In Brazil, the National Food and Nutrition Policy (PNAN), created in 1999, proposed guidelines considering as a presupposition the human right to adequate food and food security and nutritional. Among the actions listed, we can mention measures to promote healthy eating, which can be considered a challenge, because promoting healthy eating depends on people's support for them to adopt ways of life healthy. In a world where globalization and urbanization are characterized as "hampers" of healthy eating practices, and that clash with economic interests contrary to public health, it becomes very difficult to adopt any practice healthy.
Thus, it is essential to associate measures to encourage the population, such as food and nutrition education campaigns, support measures (such as nutritional labeling of the food and physical access to healthy food) and protection measures (how to protect the population, especially children, from advertising of foods rich in sugar, fat and salt and prevent the supply and sale of these products in the school environment, as the school is a fundamental environment for the formation of eating habits healthy).
In order to raise awareness among students and the entire school community (parents, educators, among others), the Ministry of Health is promoting a campaign in several schools in the network. public policy in the country to encourage better eating habits, aiming at the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, diseases of the circulatory system and respiratory.
by Paula Louredo
Degree in Biology
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude-na-escola/desnutricao.htm