Malnutrition is costing $7.6bn to Pakistani society

Malnutrition is costing a massive loss of 7.5 billion Dollars, 3% of Paksitan’s GDP per annum, claimed Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt, Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition and Home Sciences (UAF).

On Manday, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) hosted the 5th All Pakistan Nutritionists Convention organized by the Nutritionist and Dietetic Society and Faculty of Food and Nutrition and Home Sciences.

The (UAF) Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan said that after food security, the most critical issue is nutrition security.

The increasing trend of junk food among the young generation and children is deepening the nutritional crisis, especially damaging children and women.

The statistics reveal that nearly half of children under the age of five experience stunted growth, and 30% suffer from wasting.

This situation highlights the seriousness of the issue and demands our unwavering attention. Malnutrition weakens the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to diseases and hampers cognitive development, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.

In Pakistan, over 80% of children fail to meet the recommended intake for calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A. Vitamin C deficiency affects 60% of children, while B-vitamin and folate deficiencies affect 25% and 75% of children, respectively.

Furthermore, 64% of children consume insufficient protein while 30% consume excessive amounts of total fat and 10% have higher carbohydrate intake than recommended.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is an imbalance between the nutrients your body needs to function and the nutrients it gets. It can mean undernutrition or overnutrition.

Someone can be malnourished from an overall lack of calories, or might have a protein, vitamin or mineral deficiency. One might also have more excess calories than body knows what to do with.