Growing up in deprivation

Every 4th child suffers from an unbalanced diet

(Bild: Mihail - stock.adobe.com)

Every fourth child under the age of five suffers from an unbalanced diet and has an increased risk of life-threatening malnutrition. In Austria, too, many children and young people often have very little on their plates: 88,000 live in poverty in this country.

According to a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, every fourth child under the age of five suffers from an unbalanced diet and has an increased risk of life-threatening malnutrition. This corresponds to around 181 million young children worldwide who consume no more than two of eight defined food groups. These groups include breast milk, cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat or fish, eggs and dairy products.

Analysis in 100 countries
The analysis published on Thursday was carried out in almost 100 countries and is intended to show how many children do not have access to a varied diet, which is necessary for optimal growth and development.

Many of these children, who are considered nutritionally poor, consume only breast milk or milk and a starchy staple such as rice, maize or wheat. Less than ten percent of them eat fruit and vegetables - and less than five percent eat nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, fish, poultry or meat. As a result, they are up to 50 percent more likely to suffer from severe forms of malnutrition.

Many children only consume breast milk or milk and a starchy staple food such as rice, maize or wheat.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

In Africa, one in three children under the age of five suffers from severe malnutrition, while in the Gaza Strip nine out of ten children are affected by life-threatening malnutrition.

In Austria, 88,000 children and young people live in poverty. "Growing up in poverty can have an impact on both mental and physical health," says Hanna Lichtenberger from Volkshilfe. "221,000 children live in damp, mold-infested homes (...)"

Low-nutrient diets are booming

However, low household income is not the only factor in poor nutrition for children. Girls and boys from middle-class or affluent households are also affected. It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to offer their children nutritious food options and implement positive nutritional practices. One of the main reasons is that cheap, nutrient-poor, unhealthy and processed foods with high sugar content are aggressively marketed to families and have become the new standard for nutrition.

Child poverty costs society 17.2 billion euros a year
"In conversations, families tell us about the high costs of medical and therapeutic care for their children, for example because there are no places in the health insurance system or the waiting times are too long. According to OECD estimates, the consequences of child poverty cost us as a society 17.2 billion euros a year, more than half of which is attributable to the health consequences."

Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) emphasized that the primary care platform at Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) would draw attention to the Wohnschirm, Frühe Hilfen, Gesund aus der Krise or the Schulstartparket.