Food is of fundamental importance to life. It is necessary for development and functioning, including maintenance and reproduction. On average, man consumes 30 tons of food during his lifetime; this is consumed in many basic dietary versions, varying at local, national, and international levels. Also, diet is related to social class.

Basically, food is a mixture of chemicals. Usually, food components are distinguished in four categories: nutrients, toxins of natural origin, contaminants, and additives. The nutritients account for more than 99.9% of the food. The main classes of nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, and all of them may pose toxicological risks to the consumer.

Good food is needed for a person to grow well, work hard, and stay healthy. Many common sicknesses come from not eating enough.

A person who is weak or sick because he does not eat enough, or does not eat the foods his body needs, is said to be poorly nourished—or malnourished. He suffers from malnutrition.

Poor nutrition can result in the following health problems:

In children:

  • failure of a child to grow or gain weight normally.
  • slowness in walking, talking, or thinking.
  • big bellies, thin arms and legs.
  • common illnesses and infections that last longer, are  more severe, and more often cause death.
  • lack of energy, child is sad and does not play.
  • swelling of feet, face, and hands, often with sores or marks on the skin.
  • thinning, straightening, or loss of hair, or loss of its color and shine.
  • poor vision at night, dryness of eyes, blindness.

In anyone:

  • weakness and tiredness.
  • sores in the corners of the mouth.
  • loss of appetite.
  • painful or sore tongue.
  • anemia.
  • ‘burning’ or numbness of the feet.

Although the following problems may have other causes, they are sometimes caused and are often made worse by not eating well:

  • diarrhea
  • stomach discomfort
  • frequent infections
  • dryness and cracking of the skin
  • ringing or buzzing in the ears
  • heavy pulsing of the heart or of the
  • headache ‘pit’ of the stomach (palpitations)
  • bleeding or redness of the gums
  • anxiety (nervous worry) and various
  • skin bruises easily nerve or mental problems
  • nosebleeds
  • cirrhosis (liver disease)

Poor nutrition during pregnancy causes weakness and anemia in the mother and increases the risk of her dying during or after childbirth. It is also a cause of miscarriage, or of the baby being born dead, too small, or with a disability.

Eating right helps the body resist sickness

Not eating well may be the direct cause of the health problems just listed. But most important, poor nutrition weakens the body’s ability to resist all kinds of diseases, especially infections:

  • Poorly nourished children are much more likely to get severe diarrhea, and to die from it, than are children who are well nourished.
  • Measles is especially dangerous where many children are malnourished.
  • Tuberculosis is more common, and gets worse more rapidly, in those who are malnourished.
  • Cirrhosis of the liver, which comes in part from drinking too much alcohol, is more common and worse in persons who are poorly nourished.
  • Even minor problems like the common cold are usually worse, last longer, or lead to pneumonia more often in persons who are poorly nourished.

Eating right helps the sick get well

Not only does good food help prevent disease, it helps the sick body fight disease and become well again. So when a person is sick, eating enough nutritious food is especially important.

Unfortunately, some mothers stop feeding a child or stop giving certain nutritious foods when he is sick or has diarrhea—so the child becomes weaker, cannot fight off the illness, and may die. Sick children need food! If a sick child will not eat, encourage him to do so.

Feed him as much as he will eat and drink. And be patient. A sick child often does not want to eat much. So feed him something many times during the day. Also, try to make sure that he drinks a lot of liquid so that he pees (passes urine) several times a day. If the child will not take solid foods, mash them and give them as a mush or gruel.

Often the signs of poor nutrition first appear when a person has some other sickness. For example, a child who has had diarrhea for several days may develop swollen hands and feet, a swollen face, dark spots, or peeling sores on his legs. These are signs of severe malnutrition. The child needs more good food! And more often. Feed him many times during the day.

During and after any sickness, it is very important to eat well.