Lurking in more than 2 billion people worldwide is a sneaky micronutrient deficiency that could severely impair life, called “hidden hunger.” When you suffer from hidden hunger, you may not experience even a moment of hunger, but your body is still “hungry.”
Hidden hunger isn’t about suddenly eating an entire bag of cookies; it’s about whether or not your food choices are giving you enough nutrients. Eating for “fuel” and “health” matters what you’re eating, not just how much. You wouldn’t fill your car with water when it needs gas, and you shouldn’t just fill it with Maria cookies when you need a balanced diet of multiple essential micronutrients. The same thing will happen to your body as to the car: it will stop working.
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Many people suffer from hidden hunger, to the point that it is considered a global problem. According to the World Hunger Index, about a third of the world’s population does not get the necessary nutrients. Recent statistics show that in 2019, UNICEF reported in Adolescents, diets and nutrition: growing up well in a changing world that 80% of Indian teenagers suffer from hidden hunger. And it’s not just rural, food-scarce communities that experience hidden hunger. The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation says that 1 in 9 Americans suffer from hidden hunger, and more than 50% of American children do not get their required daily nutrient intake.
The cause of hidden hunger can be many things, from limited food options, shortages, infections and intestinal parasites to the consumption of highly processed and nutrient deficient convenience foods.
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It is everywhere, it affects all countries and it can come from multiple sources, but what is it?
Hidden hunger, according to the study The Global Challenge of Hidden Hunger – Perspectives from the Field, tells us that “multiple nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin A… can occur without a deficit in energy intake as a result of consuming an energy-rich, nutrient-poor diet.” Some micronutrient deficiencies can make our skin dry, lips look chapped, a little sluggish or cloudy, and not constitute a global crisis. So why are some vitamin deficiencies worse than others, like vitamin A or iodine?
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the “major underlying cause of vitamin A deficiency as a public health problem is a diet chronically insufficient in vitamin A which can lead to lower body stores and failure to meet physiological needs” . It can also “lead to preventable childhood blindness, anemia, and weakening of host resistance to infection, which can increase the severity of infectious disease and the risk of death.”
On the other hand, a chronic deficiency of iodine during pregnancy, for example, can affect the growth and neurodevelopment of the child, resulting in an increased risk of infant mortality, and a deficiency found in children can affect function. motorboat. Imagine how this translates as the child grows into adulthood.
It’s no surprise, then, that the WHO refers to chronic vitamin A deficiency as a “public health problem,” not just a personal problem. So how does hidden hunger affect everyone?
Imagine communities forced into certain dietary habits due to lack of food options or scarcity, such as those that rely primarily on rice or corn to make up the majority of their diet. The lack of neurodevelopment can impact the entire community of children and the health of adolescents and adults.
Or imagine a busy professional working in the heart of any global metropolis. Instead of well-balanced meals, they satisfy their hunger with endless bags of chips and fried foods that fit easily into their meeting schedules. In this case, suffering from hidden hunger is not due to lack of choice but to environment, habits, food availability and time management. There are millions of these types of workers around the world, individually contributing to the global problem of hunger.
To understand the broader impact of hidden hunger, a research article published in 2008 entitled Micronutrient malnutrition in India, say ‘Nope‘ now says “loss due to micronutrient deficiency costs India 1 per cent of its GDP. This equates to a loss of Rs 27,720 crore per year in productivity, illness, increased healthcare costs and death” . It is no longer a personal problem, it is a collective concern as countries navigate their participation on the world stage.
Massive global efforts are underway to help minimize hidden hunger. The 2014 World Hunger Index has reported that direct supplementation of iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin A has been immensely beneficial. Additionally, an effort to deworm children and pregnant women has reduced the risk of hidden hunger by ensuring that intestinal parasites do not limit their ability to absorb nutrients in their digestive systems.
The sheer size of the problem, the locations it affects, and the concerted global effort it is taking to address it can sometimes leave us feeling powerless on a personal level to combat it or lead to prevent it.
However, it is essential to find ways to address hidden hunger because the side effects of suboptimal health will normalize for many people in the world if they are not detected and treated early enough. Everyone deserves to feel their best, trade their best, and see their future in the brightest colors possible.
Therefore, it is an excellent opportunity to take stock of your health and make improvements.
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When it comes to your diet, try to wean yourself from eating habits that cause you to repeat foods. For example, instead of constantly eating rice or wheat, try rotating your grain sources or buying grains that have been fortified with vitamins or minerals. Second, eat the rainbow. Each color of fruit and vegetable has a unique vitamin and mineral composition that is often color dependent. Instead of trying to eat your 5 a day, try eating 5 colors a day (white, green, red, orange, and purple). This will force you to give up old eating habits that can encourage nutrient deficiencies. And finally, ask your primary care doctor for advice on whether or not you should get a blood test to rule out micronutrient deficiencies.
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