Explain why there are so many malnourished people on the planet

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The majority of malnourished people are undernourished, meaning that there is some kind of nutrient deficiency in their diet. In some cases, people are simply not taking in enough calories. In other cases, they lack specific dietary nutrients such as iron, vitamin A, and zinc. In some places, the available food lacks some dietary requirements. For example, rice is widely available in many countries, but it lacks amino acids found in beans and meats, so someone with a diet consisting largely of rice will lack those amino acids. While the majority (almost 2 billion) of malnourished people on the planet are undernourished, some (1.5 billion) malnourished people are taking in excessive calories in their diet. These people tend to live in richer countries that have better developed agricultural regions. Ultimately, we are currently producing enough food for everyone. The problem is that we do not have the infrastructure in place to distribute the food to where it is needed. Natural disasters such as droughts and floods, plus human conflicts, exacerbate the problems with food distribution.