Every day, you hear in the media reports about people that die of hunger across the world. As hunger is continuously on the rise, many individuals do not know where their next meal is coming from.
Unfortunately, a massive part of this population that experiences hunger comes from the cluster of children. Given their young age, how does hunger affect their psychological health, considering childhood hunger also affects their personal wellbeing?
In this article, we will tackle the psychological effects of childhood hunger.
Photo by ArchitRegel. Source
How Does Hunger Affect People Across The Planet?
For three consecutive years, the cases of hunger from all over the world have continued to grow. In an official report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 820 million people do not have enough meals to eat in their daily lives.
Not only does this put emphasis on the monumental challenge or second goal listed under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of achieving zero hunger by the year 2030, but it also contributes to the rising cases of children affected by world hunger.
Similarly, in a news report by UNICEF last February 2022, around 1.4 million children potentially suffer from acute malnutrition in Somalia, Africa.
Considering that this only covers one country, the given number could, unfortunately, be much more than that if we talk about the whole world.
As a result, there has been an ongoing call for help by several organizations in hopes of minimizing the growing number of people experiencing hunger.
Negative Effects of Hunger
Although most individuals assume that people experiencing hunger have a skinny structure and bulging stomach, there are many potential adverse effects brought by hunger other than affecting one’s physical health.
Aside from putting your physical health at risk, the negative effects of hunger also include tremendous psychological distress and illness.
While hunger can often be seen due to its effects on a person’s physical health, there remain to be several effects of hunger on the brain. Some may even be less visible yet much more devastating than others.
Hunger Affects a Person’s Mental Health
Over time, a lot of studies have been conducted to discover the negative effects of hunger and poverty. The lack of nutrition from food causes physical health conditions such as heart diseases or hindered growth and mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and even posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A study conducted last 2014 found that lack of food or hunger was positively associated with depression. Based on the results, the effects of food insecurity include symptoms of depression and self-harm, which could imply that food insecurity poses a higher risk of developing depression.
Similarly, the effects of hunger in adults also impact children and their mental health. As mentioned in a 2002 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, results have shown that children dealing with persistent hunger appear more susceptible to severe depression.
The lack of food security among households leads to the potential of children developing extreme depression, which could manifest in several ways, such as loss of happiness and enjoyment at an early age, emotional instability, crankiness or irritability, and extreme changes in their sleeping habits.
Although treatments and medications are available for the psychological effects of childhood hunger like this, it is essential to prevent depression in children by ensuring they receive as much food and nutrition as possible.
The same study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed that children who live with extreme hunger and food insecurity are 56% most likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
People assume that PTSD only comes from a terrifying incident or event. However, PTSD is also among the psychological effects of childhood hunger.
Symptoms include recollection of painful situations caused by food insecurity, having trouble sleeping, and lack of emotional stability, especially when dealing with family members and friends.
The inability to obtain food and nutrition at an early age can be one of the traumatic and psychological effects of hunger and poverty. Thus, preventive interventions and efforts to address child hunger should be allowed and made to prevent the negative effects of world hunger.
Hunger Affects a Child’s Performance and Behavior in School
Children experiencing food insecurity may not be fully equipped to attain their most entire capabilities, especially in school. Malnutrition is widely associated with loss of development potential and low academic achievements.
Aside from the lack of focus, hunger can result in a child’s problems in behavior such as anxiety, aggressive behavior, agitation, and mood swings.
When children develop these physiological problems, there may be a severe impairment and delays in their language, cognitive and motor aptitudes, and conduct development.
A child’s ability to cope and keep up with their lessons and other academic matters also gets affected due to hunger. To be able to function correctly, every human being needs proper food and nutrition.
Lack of food distracts kids from focusing on their school work, which unfortunately ends up sometimes with the child having to repeat a grade level. Without the necessary nutrients, the child’s central nervous system may not develop correctly and in time.
Hence, this results in further catching up with peers. These possible effects of food insecurity at an early age may continue until adulthood, bringing chronic effects to the person affected.
A child’s development should not be treated as something that can be paused or delayed at any time. To avoid this, parents should ensure that every child’s essential nutrition and other necessities are met.
Hunger Affects a Person’s Eyesight
One of the things that people tend to overlook when it comes to the effects of hunger is how it affects a person’s eyes. Due to the lack of food, a person also lacks vitamin A, which is needed for the eyes.
Vitamin A is crucial in the promotion of good eyesight. Considering the free radicals in some foods rich in Vitamin A, the lack of this vitamin may put a person at risk for cancer and long-term diseases.
A person not getting enough vitamin A may lead to reversible night blindness or non-reversible damage in the cornea, known as xerophthalmia.
Children who experience hunger at their age can have slightly impaired and disrupted vision as they grow. Due to the potential risks of losing sight, a child may feel insecure growing up.
Similarly, this may also contribute to developing mental illnesses, such as depression and PTSD. In general, the lack of nutrition, especially Vitamin A, can cause predicaments in vision that can be highly troublesome and damaging.
Photo by Billy Cedeno. Source
What Can You Do to Help?
At present, a lot of children throughout the world still have no idea where to get their next meals. Although we are still far from eliminating this severe issue of childhood hunger, there are still ways for us to help and make an impact in hopes of ending child hunger.
Getting yourself involved is always the best way to contribute to the solution to a social problem. You can start with your own local community by volunteering for the food drives or pantries organized by other volunteers.
If you have additional funds, you can partner with different food banks or organizations to organize your community food drive. Friends and acquaintances may then spread the word for a broader reach. You might as well encourage them to volunteer and do the same as well.
For additional funds and resources, you may arrange a donation jar or fundraising activities to increase funds for the food bank. You may donate the proceeds to feeding program organizations, food banks, or other organizations that feed the children.
More importantly, always be informed and stay educated. To encourage and participate in any voluntary acts for child hunger, you ought to keep all necessary pieces of information at hand.
Know the organizations or brands that work hard to donate resources, such as money and food, to those in need. To help them, you may purchase products from their brands to sort of help them make change through their initiatives.
For example, Food for Life aims to end childhood hunger by providing children with plant-based meals to have the necessary nutrition they lack.
Join Us in Our Advocacy!
Among the stress factors that are experienced both by children and adults, hunger is something that should never be left neglected and overlooked. Food insecurity does not end with physical illnesses and conditions.
The mental, emotional, and even social aspects of a person’s life are also affected by the lack of food and nutrition. To mitigate the threat and improve the neural health of the majority of the population, we should take the necessary interventions to address the issue of world hunger.
We all hope for a world where all children can eat, live their lives fully, and work towards their potential. Join us in Food for Life as we attempt to fight childhood hunger by feeding children healthy meals in hopes of giving them a better future.
Lalaine Rivers
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