Expert Reveals Why Rich Children Also Suffer Malnutrition, Obesity
- Malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths of under-five children globally
- Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five
- An expert in the country says the issue can be tackled if parents are intentional about the brands of foods their toddlers consume
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Lagos - An expert, Roberta Oyedokun, has revealed why children with rich parents also suffer malnutrition and obesity.
According to her, the wrong choice of foods for children and toddlers can cause such sicknesses and remains a major contributor to malnutrition.
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She said while parents focused more on brands of foods, they must go beyond names or brands in choosing the right choice of foods for their children.
Oyedokun who is the founder and chief executive officer of a food company, Moppet, said in a statement sent to Legit.ng:
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“When we talk about malnutrition in children, most parents think only children in rural areas are malnourished, but the truth is a lot of children from urban cities with richer parents also suffer malnutrition and obesity because of wrong food choices.
“That is why we are asking them to make the right choice by choosing Moppet for their children and toddlers.
“Parents need to look beyond the known names and foreign tags to pick up nutritious and rich meals made with the five groups of healthy food for their children, one that is without any artificial sugar, additive, or preservative.”
She also said her brand remained the best that any parent would love to give their children.
Her words:
“Moppet is an instant natural cereal and porridge for babies and toddlers, made with 100% clean and natural ingredients from local farmers.
“By giving your children Moppet, you are sure they are getting the essential and diverse meals from the 5 groups of healthy food that their body needs, meals that contain protein, calcium for growth and development, Fruit and vegetables for energy, vitamins, antioxidants, fibre and water.
“These nutrients help to protect your baby from diseases later in life, including diseases like heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Our cereal range is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a major building block of the brain.”
US leads new pledges to fight child malnutrition
Recall that the United States recently led pledges for $280 million to fight childhood malnutrition through the supply of ready-to-eat packets in nations suffering from acute food shortages.
At an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the US Agency for International Development promised $200 million.
The money is part of the total $280 million as part of an event with UNICEF to stop childhood wasting, the low weight-for-height caused by poor nutrition.
22 million face starvation in Horn of Africa: WFP
Meanwhile, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) recently said the number of people at risk of starvation in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa has increased to 22 million.
Years of insufficient rainfall across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia have caused the worst drought in 40 years and conditions akin to famine in the hardest-hit areas, aid groups say.
An unprecedented four failed rainy seasons has killed millions of livestock, destroyed crops, and forced 1.1 million people from their homes in search of food and water.
Source: Legit.ng
