The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) commemorates every October 16, the World Day of the Feedingin order to highlight the right to a feeding diverse, affordable, safe and of high nutritional value at all stages of the life course.
This day provides a crucial opportunity to reflect on how we can improve the feeding from the earliest years, and thus face the challenges associated with malnutrition already malnutrition.
“Currently, worldwide, around four million children children under five years old, which represents 8%, suffer from overweight or obesitywhile 49 million children and teenagers 5 to 19 years old, equivalent to 30%, present these conditions,” said Carlos Carrera, representative of UNICEF.
He also added that “environments that favor obesity constitute one of the main challenges, and undoubtedly prevent overweight requires a comprehensive strategy that includes policies, laws, services and practices designed to promote healthy, inclusive and climate-resilient food systems.”
According to ENHOGAR-MICS 2019, in the Dominican Republic there is a prevalence of overweight of 8% in the children under five years old.
On the other hand, other findings from studies on the subject in the country highlight that 15% of children in the national territory they suffer from overweight (including obesity), which places us among the countries in the region with the highest burden of obesity.
Likewise, it is established that the overweight affects approximately one third of children and teenagers from 5 to 19 years old, with a slightly higher figure in men compared to women. Meanwhile, the obesity is 16% and 14%, respectively.
Eating habits of the little ones
Breastfeeding maternal exclusive It is essential for the healthy development of newborns, providing all the necessary nutrients and strengthening the immune system.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend that the milk maternal be the only food for babies during the first six months of life.
Subsequently, starting at six months, a complementary feeding adequate that gradually includes other varied foods in addition to milk maternalallowing the baby to explore different textures and flavors as their physical and neurological development allows.
The feeding maternal It is one of the most effective ways to ensure the health and survival of animals. children. However, contrary to WHO recommendations, less than half of infants They are fed exclusively with milk maternal.
Research by the WHO and the UNICEF have shown that the children breastfed children show better performance in tests of intelligenceare less prone to overweight wave obesity and, later in life, to suffer from diabetes. Women who breastfeed also have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Likewise, they ensure that the incorrect marketing of milk substitutes maternal continues to undermine efforts to improve breastfeeding rates maternal and its duration throughout the world.
Feeding school: creating healthy environments
The school food environment plays a crucial role in the formation of eating habits healthy. It is essential that schools foster an environment that encourages the availability of highly nutritious foods and regulate the sale of unhealthy products in their cafeterias.
Nutrition education should be a integral part of the school curriculum, so that students acquire knowledge about feeding balanced and make informed decisions about their diet.
From UNICEFit is recommended:
- Ensure that programs school feeding and sales spaces within schools offer options nutritious.
- Regulation of the sale of food and beverages: Implement rules that restrict the availability of foods and beverages with low nutritional value or ultra-processed.
- Nutrition education: Include educational programs that teach students about the importance of a balanced and healthy diet.
Adolescents: facing the digital marketing
The teenagers face additional challenges related to feeding due to the lack of regulations on the marketing of ultra-processed foods and beverages with excess critical nutrients, such as: sugar, salt, trans fats, total fats, as well as the content of caffeine and sweeteners not recommended for children.
The international organization asserts that the digital marketing It is one of the channels that promotes foods and drinks with excess nutrients such as those mentioned. This phenomenon has contributed to the increase in overweight and of the obesity in the teenagers schooled, reaching a worrying 30% of this population.
“It is essential that measures be taken to achieve a law on the front labeling of nutritional warnings on all prepackaged foods and beverages, and in this way counteract the negative impact of advertising, including digital marketing focused on unhealthy foods and promoting a feeding balanced during this critical stage of development,” they emphasize.
Severe acute malnutrition and risk of malnutrition
One of the most serious problems of the malnutrition is the malnutrition severe acute, a painful condition that affects millions of children throughout the world, especially in vulnerable communities and difficult to access. In the Dominican Republic this phenomenon affects:
- Slums: Areas such as La Barquita, Los Guandules, La Ciénaga and El Limoncito often face problems of poverty and lack of basic services.
- Rural communities: Many rural areas face difficulties in accessing education, health and employment.
- High migration areas: Places with a high concentration of immigrants often lack adequate services, such as the Montecristi and Dajabón areas.
These conditions caused by lack of access to nutritious foods and the prevalence of recurrent illnesses such as diarrhea, measles and malaria, weakens childrenmaking them more prone to delays in growth and development, and a greater risk of suffering from serious diseases.
Approximately 1 in 5 deaths among children children under 5 years of age is attributed to this severe form of malnutrition.
Solutions include early detectionthe expansion of services treatment and access to ready-to-use therapeutic foods. UNICEF is working with global allies to support these efforts and provide functional nutrition to save lives and promote healthy growth in children. children afflicted
“In it World Day of the Feedingwe renew our commitment to a proper nutrition in all stages of life course childish. It is essential that we work together to ensure that each child receives the support necessary to grow and develop healthily from childhood,” says Carrera.
At the same time, it ensures that coordinated action on these fronts will not only improve the health of our childrenbut will also contribute to leaving no one behind and building a future with greater equity, inclusion and resilience for all.
