STARVATION

ENGLISH CAMBRIDGE

MEMBER'S NAME

VAREEN CANOVALA

SHEREEN

RICWIN WINARDI

PATRICK SAMUEL

XI IIS 5

CLASS OF 2018

SMAKYS BATAM

What is Starvation?

Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death. The term inanition refers to the symptoms and effects of starvation. Starvation may also be used as a means of torture or execution.

According to the World Health Organization, hunger is the single gravest threat to the world's public health. The WHO also states that malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality, present in half of all cases. Undernutrition is a contributory factor in the death of 3.1 million children under five every year. Figures on actual starvation are difficult to come by, but according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the less severe condition of undernourishment currently affects about 842 million people, or about one in eight (12.5%) people in the world population.

 

Effects of Starvation

Anorexia Nervosa is a condition of self-induced starvation. Starvation affects many systems.  Most changes are completely reversible as weight is regained and these include psychological symptoms.

Metabolic and endocrine effects: these are changes that are adaptive and are about trying to conserve body mass. Growth rate is slowed and puberty will be delayed. Physical activity is often initially reduced but there can be symptoms of hyperactivity in some. Cortisol and insulin secretion are both altered. Muscle starts to brake down to use as an energy source. As starvation precedes losses of electrolytes such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium occur. There will be marked loss of calcium from bones.

Patients with Anorexia Nervosa are as much at risk of osteoporosis as women in their 70's and 80's. Overall muscle, liver and gut all shrink very rapidly. Shrinkage in the gastrointestinal tract means feelings of fullness even after only little amounts of food are eaten. Later on kidneys and heart may also lose mass. Women, if post puberty will become amenorrhoeic and Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are diagnosis that should be considered in cases of infertility.

Cardiovascular changes: with weight loss a patient can become bradycardic and arrhythmia's are sometimes seen particularly where there is low potassium. Cardiac arrest occasionally occurs. Blood pressure is low in Anorexia Nervosa and there may be postural hypotension.

Biochemistry: dehydration can occur with vomiting, laxative misuse or fluid restriction.

Low Sodium, low Potassium and sometimes low levels of other elements such as calcium magnesium are sometimes seen. Phosphate supplements may be needed, especially when patients are being re-fed. Repeated vomiting can cause an alkalosis.

Vomiting and laxative abuse: can disturb fluid balance which can lead to an accumulation of fluid, especially in the ankles. Hypoglycemia and abnormal glucose tolerance are sometimes seen and there can be a variety of protein and vitamin deficiencies. All these disturbances can cause weakness and lack of energy.

Skeletal changes: in Anorexia Nervosa, osteoporosis is frequently seen. Due to lack of calcium and vitamin D particularly. Low oestrogen levels also play a part. There can be growth retardation before full stature is reached. A milder form of bone thinning is osteopaenia. Fractures can occur as a result.

Body temperature: cold intolerance is seen with Anorexia Nervosa and very low body temperature or hypothermia can occur. Reynard's Phenomenon is also often seen.

Gastrointestinal tract: damage to the teeth can result from repeated vomiting as well as inflammation of the throat and swelling of the parotid glands. Oesophageal tears are sometimes seen and atomic bowel can occur from excessive laxative abuse. Dependence on laxatives is then seen.

Haematological: anaemia can occur adding to weakness and tiredness. White cell counts are also impaired and immune deficiency states can result. Occasionally low platelet concentrations can lead to clotting problems.

Dermatological: skin may become dry or discoloured. Excess hair growth on the face, arms and down the back is often seen in Anorexia Nervosa. Lanugo hair.

Renal, liver and pancreatic function: in advanced Anorexia Nervosa these three systems can all be impaired.

Neuro-psychiatric: cognition is slowed, concentration is impaired and thinking becomes very restricted and focused in established Anorexia Nervosa. States of depression and anxiety can result in both Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa.

Muscle changes: in advanced stages of Anorexia Nervosa there can be severe muscle weakness.

World Hunger Statistics

Every year, authors, journalists, teachers, researchers, schoolchildren and students ask us for statistics about hunger and malnutrition. To help answer these questions, we've compiled a list of useful facts and figures on world hunger.

• Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That's about one in nine people on earth.
• The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.
• Asia is the continent with the most hungry people - two thirds of the total. The percentage in southern Asia has fallen in recent years but in western Asia it has increased slightly.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest prevalence (percentage of population) of hunger. One person in four there is undernourished.
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year.
• One out of six children -- roughly 100 million -- in developing countries is underweight.
•  One in four of the world's children are stunted. In developing countries the proportion can rise to one in three.
•  If women farmers had the same access to resources as men, the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million.
• 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.
• WFP calculates that US$3.2 billion is needed per year to reach all 66 million hungry school-age children.

 
Ref :
​www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

These 10 Countries Starving To Death Will Make You Think Twice About Wasting Food Again

Disclaimer: Some images maybe slightly graphic. Viewer discretion advised.

There are countless countries suffering from hunger issues. Some a lot more than others. Starvation, famine, food insecurity, poverty and so many other things. There are countries we haven't even heard of, but their fate is so much worse than ours. The hunger issues of a country are determined by Global Hunger Index (GHI) score. The GHI score is calculated by averaging the percentage of the population that is undernourished, the percentage of children younger than 5 years old who are underweight, and the percentage of children dying before the age of 5. Countries with extremely alarming hunger issues have a GHI of over 30 and those between 20 to 30 come under alarming hunger problems.

Here is a list of 10 countries of the world that starving to death based on the GHI:

1. Haiti (Global Hunger Index: 23)

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Not only is there underdevelopment but natural disasters and political issues have made Haiti worse. 55 % of the people are below poverty line. With around 3/4th population of the country living on less than USD 2 per day, the malnutrition rate of children between 1 to 5 years is 22.9%.

Source: thestar

2. Zambia (Global Hunger Index: 23.2)

Politically, the nation is probably more stable than others on this list. But when it comes to poverty, Zambia is facing major issues. As Zambia is not economically powerful, despite the government's efforts, malnutrition is chronically present in many children and most of them are surviving on one or two meals per day.

Source: thecalltomissions

3. Yemen (Global Health Index: 23.4)

Yemen is facing huge famine issues. Around 41% of Yemen's population is not secure when it comes to food and malnutrition rates are one of the highest in the world. To make things worse, not only is the country facing food insecurity & high food prices, but also civil conflict, large-scale displacement, endemic poverty and influx of refugees and migrants.

Source: reuters

4. Ethiopia (Global Health Index: 24.4)

Even though Ethiopia has impressively improved its economic condition, there are more issues to deal with like political & civil unrest, low literacy rates, high poverty and the most alarming fact of all, that Ethiopia has suffered from famine for almost 3 decades now. Malnutrition and starvation go hand-in-hand here.

Source: slate

5. Chad (Global Health Index: 24.9)

After gaining independence in 1960, Chad has suffered from major social unrest and conflicts with neighbouring countries. The Sahelian region of Chad is suffering highly from the effects of malnutrition and food insecurity. Parts of the country are majorly arid.

Source: theguardian

6. Sudan (Global Health Index: 26)

Although South Sudan gained independence from former Sudan in 2011, both nations are unstable and poor. Citizens of both countries have been suffering majorly over the years and the GHI score of both had to be calculated together as separate undernourishment estimates for 2011–2013 were not available for South Sudan.

Source: cpa.org

7. Comoros (Global Health Index: 29.5)

Comoros gained independence from France in 1975. But since then, there have been around 20 coups or coup attempts. The country suffers from high infant mortality, hunger and increase in population. All these add to the ill fate of the nation.

Source: theeastafrican

8. Timor-Leste (Global Health Index: 29.8)

Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in the world. Around 90% of the population does not get enough food to consume between November and March every single year. Children in particular are prone to ill effects of hunger. Around half of the country’s children are chronically malnutritioned.

Source: borgenmagazine

9. Eritrea (Global Health Index: 33.8)

Eritrea is not famous for much. But when it comes to hunger, Eritrea has the capacity to make headlines. More than 12 million people have been affected by famine and drought. Being one of the least developed nations in the world, there is a lack of resources and aid to help with this cause.

Source: lookingtoday

10. Burundi (Global Health Index: 35.6)

Burundi has been credited to be the hungriest nation in Africa and has been on top of the GHI score list for the 3rd year running. With almost 65 % of its population being below the poverty line, more than 50 % of Burundi's 10 million citizens are affected by malnutrition.

Source: wordsnimage

There are many other nations that are suffering from similar issues. Countries like Sierra Leone, Madagascar, CAR, Niger and Mozambique, all have a GHI score of over 20. These countries are in dire need of help. Our very own nation ranks 55th on the list with a GHI of 17.8. There are food programmes that cater towards helping the under nourished and we should all step up and do whatever we can to help the poor souls suffering from starvation and food insecurity. The world is calling for help, when do we plan on answering?

 

SOLUTION :

1. Sustainable Food Heifer International is an organization that helps transform agriculture. They fund projects so people can provide food for themselves in a sustainable way. This is very powerful, because ultimately we would like to see many impoverished areas not reliant on aid from foreign countries (which often causes debt) and able to create their own, steady, supply of food.

2. Access to Credi Many organizations are helping people in poor countries to gain access to credit. Most of these credit loans are repaid, and they have created many industries, such as farms, that help create a sustainable provision for people and also develop nations economically. If these people do not have access to credit, they cannot start up industries that combat poverty.

3. Food Donations Although ideally it would be better to get the entire world to a place of self-sustainability, it is not something that will happen overnight. In the meantime it is important to lend a helping hand. The impact of donations, both cash and food, have had an immense impact on world hunger. Organizations such as Food for All have customers donate $1-5 when checking out. Last year they raised a whopping $60 million to fight world hunger.

4. Transitioning Many families dealing with poverty need help transitioning into a state of self-dependance. 15 Feeds Family is an organization that helps with this transition. They start by providing families with food, but then slowly find solutions to empower families to be self-sufficient. This is important, because self-sufficiency allows for a certain food income, when relying on donations does not always guarantee food.

5. Urban Farming Almost one-quarter of undernourished people live in an urban environment. Recently, there has been a big push for urban farming. Urban farming empowers families to gain control over their own food source.

6. Access to Education Education is the best weapon against poverty and hunger. It is especially powerful in underdeveloped countries. Education means better opportunity and more access to income and food. Additionally, some countries have food-for-education programs where students are given free food for coming to school. This may seem like a basic idea in the United States, but it is life saving in many under developed nations.

7. Social Change This is extremely hard and will not take place overnight. However, many social issues, such as war, pose a fundamental problem to halting world hunger. Ideally, this will happen when world powers, such as the United States and many western European nations, choose to focus on solving these issues instead of exacerbating them. However, this can only start when people in developed nations begin to care about those issues as well and pressure their governments to be productive in ending conflict.

8. Government Intervention Aid to foreign nations needs to be more focused on government intervention, like programs that provide food to mothers and their children in poor areas. This is not much different from many programs available in the United States.

9. Empowering WomenThere is a direct correlation with hunger and gender inequalities. Empowering women to gain access to food, be providers, and lead their families has had a major impact on food access and ability to change financial situations.

10. Birth Control Education High birthrates pose a problem when trying to solve hunger. Many people are not educated on reproduction or do not have access to contraceptives. Gaining access to contraceptives allows for family planning and economic freedom.

– Zachary Patterson

STARVATION THREATENS IF WE DON'T ACT QUICKLY!

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Remember, YOU can take a part to end world starvation.

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Don't forget to stay happy.

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