Malnutrition is a major problem in the world today. It is estimated that two-thirds of people today suffer from this disease. We’ve all seen the commercials of little kids dying from malnutrition and how for just 25 cents you can save that child. Those commercials are real, and the children are real. There are many things that we as a society can do to help this problem, but many are too blind to see it. To understand malnutrition we must first consider the affects: rising population, rising income and the gap between the rich and the poor. We then need to look at the solutions. These include what we as individuals can do, what the nations, states, can do, and finally, which is the best solution, what can be done globally.

One of the affects of malnutrition is the rising of population. In the United States, families are allowed to have as many children as they wish. The bigger the family, the more you are rewarded through taxes. China, on the other hand, is limited to only one child, which limits them to a very small family. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone. But the higher the population, or bigger the family, usually results in most of the food supplies. As with the United States, bigger the family, the more money you receive back from taxes, which equals a bigger income. Which is one of the other factors that we will discuss next.

The biggest factor affecting malnutrition is the rising in income. People with rising incomes have a higher demand for food, than do people with a low income. They also buy more food than actually needed, which in turn gets wasted. Rising incomes put serious press on food consumption. According to Chelala, " Today, obesity is a primary health threat in the United States." The average American eats 155 pounds of meat per year. We, as a society, don’t realize that there are people suffering out there, while we are buying excessive amounts of food that we really do not need. It is so bad that there are 115 million registered cats and dogs in the world with better nutrition then all of the people in Latin America. To me, it doesn’t seem right that we are a society facing obesity, while other countries are worried about finding something to eat. People are suffering while we are feeding our faces with too much food. According to Krishnaswarni, "More than ½ of the world’s undernourished people live in the Indian subcontinent. The causes of this widespread malnutrition include: inadequate food supplies, low purchasing power, poor health conditions and ignorance." These conditions exist because of the low incomes. It would be hard to support a family if you didn’t have an income. As food and other items increase, that is toward money, it is important that your income increase as well, so that you can keep up with the changes that are occurring. Much of the rises in income, though, have to do with the nation you are in. If you are from a rich country, you have a better chance at a bigger income, than does a person from a poor country. That is where the gap between the rich and the poor comes into place.

What is meant by the gap between the rich and poor? While this represents two different parts of our world. First you have the rich, which usually includes the North continents. Then there are the poor. These usually include the Southern continents (Asia, Africa, etc.) While the North tends to be industrial, the South tends to agricultural. The majority of the world population lives in the South, which also has a very low life expectancy. This is caused by malnutrition. Many of the mothers are too sick to give birth, and the child dies at infancy. The North, though, has a high expectancy rate, it is estimated now to be greater than 70 years. That is due to the fact that the people of the North are in better condition, health wise, than other countries in the South. So why is the South hurting from malnutrition, if they are the agricultural part of the world? Well it has to do with the fact that the North is generally the rich part of the world, like I stated before. They have all the money, so they are able to buy, or even most of the time, own the land. It is estimated that only 20% of the world are rich. That means that 80% of the world population is poor and dying due to malnutrition.

What caused the gap between the rich and the poor? Well it all started back during the Industrial Revolution. Since then the gap has grown rapidly. In 1950 the gap was 10-1. Which meant that a person in the North made 10 times that of a person in the South. Ten years later, the gap increased to 15- 1 and is estimated to increase 30-1 by the year 2000.

What are the reasons for the gap? Well first there is the Power. The South lacks many resources, while the North is rich in resources. The North usually owns the resources that the South has, though. This is due to the fact that the North is usually richer than the South, which gives the North greater power over the South. It is hard for the South countries to keep their land, due to the lack of money that they have. So while the land is in the South, the North owns it and pays the people of the South very little to maintain it. People in the South are dyeing of hunger working for the North to have food. The North takes the South’s precise resources away from them because they are able to afford it. An example of this would be how all of the beef in El Salvador comes to the United States. Not one person that lives there gets to enjoy, because we have the money and can afford it. Money gives you power, and if you don’t have it, you’re powerless.

Another factor would be children raising techniques. If you are born to a family with money, you are likely to have money when you get older. The same goes for if you are born poor. There are exceptions, but usually if you are born poor, you will die poor. A lot has to do with where you are born. If you are born in the South, there is not as big as a chance to become rich as there would be if you were from the North. Someone, who is brought up dealing with malnutrition, doesn’t realize the problem. They know they are hungry, but don’t know the difference, because that’s the only way they know of. That is normal to them, what they are use to. Just as someone who was born rich, doesn’t know how it is to be poor. The last reason for the gap would be colonialism. This is the most exceptional. This is where the rich countries try to aid the poor countries. An example would be foreign aid. The reason for colonization would be poverty and global inequalities. According to Chelala, "The health situation of the people of North Korea is dire. Drought and famine have struck North Korea for nearly three years, and Doug Coutts, head of the World Food Programme in North Korea, recently reported that the health of the general population is rapidly worsening. One consequent of the food shortages is population that has been weakened by long-term survival with less than the minimum daily nutritional requirement. Water shortage in the country’s reservoirs could have a considerable effect on the rice crop and cause this year’s food production to be even lower than that of 1997." This would be an example of where the United States would come in and provide foreign aid until North Korea can get back on their feet. Their food production is becoming weakened, which in turns effects the U.S. That is why we would want to help them. This would not be free money though, and would need to be paid back when they get on their feet again.

So what are the solutions to this gap between the North and the South, which in turns causes malnutrition? There are three: (1) individual solutions, (2) national solutions, and (3) global solutions.

Individual solutions consist of you as an individual. Remember the commercials with the children sick and dying of malnutrition and the lady saying you can help with just .25 cents a month. That is an individual solution. If everyone would do that, we would end this problem. Other ways would be to give up meat, one day per week. By doing this you would save 1/7 of the total beef (meat) consumption each year.

National solutions consist your nation or state. In the United States, 38 million people live in poverty. Of that, 90% are senior citizens and children. Also, the majority of people on welfare in the U.S. are whites. National solutions refer to rebuilding your nation or state. Fixing what needs to be fixed in your nation. In the United States they came up with the Marshall Plan. This plan was made up to rebuild other nations. Billions of dollars were invested in this plan to make it work.

Finally global solutions refer to fixing these around the world that need to be fixed. Under this solution things such as the New International Economic Order, Law of the Sea Treaty, "Heritage of Man Kind", and High Sea Authority were invented. These help change things globally. These allowed nations to be able to protect there waters for so many miles, which before where being taken away by big companies.

All of these solutions work to improve the gap between the North and the South, which is the biggest reason for malnutrition. Malnutrition is a major problem in our society today. All of us can do something about it. You may not be facing it, or even know of someone who is, but everytime you buy too much food and end up throwing most of it out, think about the less fortunate people who would give anything for the rest of your hamburger.