EDITORIAL

Less Family To Feed Improves Nutrition

July, is the Philippine Nutrition Month. The theme of this year’s celebration is "Kumain Ng RIGHT, Para Maging BRIGHT". How can a family eat right to grow bright?
First, the family must plant and produce the right and appropriate food for proper family nutrition. Second, if the family is not engaged in food production, it must have enough income to purchase enough quantity and quality foods for its dietary needs. Third, if the family did not have any of the two above, it may result to borrowing money or goods, ask food from relative and friends and live on alms. The absence of the three above methods to secure the right food will compel the family to steal.
On the basis of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) report, six out of 100 school children have stunted growth because of protein – energy malnutrition (PEM). This is 6 percent of our school children. The children, aged 6 months to five years, 8.2 percent of them lack Vitamin A.
On the whole, 30.6 percent of the Filipinos are suffering of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Out of the total IDA affected Filipinos, 50.3 percent are pregnant women, while 45.7 percent are lactating mothers.
As a result of malnutrition, the mental and physical development of the children are retarded, their resistance to infections is weakened that result to the unnecessary loss of lives. There is high infant and child mortality rates. If this malnutrition problem will continue unabated, the well-being of the future citizens of the Philippines will be endangered.
The theme this year: "Kumain Ng RIGHT, Para Maging BRIGHT" is so appropriate for the annual celebration. Presidential Decree No. 471, the Nutrition Act of the Philippines was approved on June 25, 1974 aimed to create proper awareness among our people of the value and importance of proper nutrition.
But how can a family provide its members with proper nutrition even if they are well informed regarding nutrition? The family members must know the appropriate, quantity and quality of food required by each family member. Having all the food materials, the family must know how to properly process and cook the food material to save the nutrient contents until the food is eaten.
However, proper family nutrition can only be improved after poverty is reduced in the Philippines. Family members will enable themselves to produce or procure enough foods if they have money, and prepare it according to recommended nutrition intake. The family above the poverty level will have variety of food such as fish, meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products using iodized salt in its preparation. The family can have regular exercise and avoid smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks. But to the depressed and oppressed? No way. Malnutrition will be there.
Moreover, it will be advantageous for a family to limit its family members. More members with less family income results to less food, inadequate money for health, sub-standard housing, inadequate money for education and for other basic needs.
How about that? /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com