Recent reports have shown that one third of the world’s population’s health is being risked due to poor and unhealthy diets. Due to such widespread malnutrition, the growth of almost twenty five percent of children under five is being stunted.  According to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, “…two billion people lack the range of vitamins and minerals in their diet needed to keep them healthy.”

Due to the lack of such nourishment, illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and other food-related diseases are on the rise. Outside of these diseases, severe malnutrition is causing children to be born with life-long complications, and children have less mental and physical capabilities. Many poor areas can’t afford to have healthy diets, which is a major cause of the increase in malnutrition in children and adults.

And the future is not looking too bright either. In developed countries such as the U.S. and China, malnutrition is mainly caused by junk food that has a very limited amount of important nutrients, and excessive amounts of other ones like carbs. It has been projected that by 2030, half of the population in China will be obese, while from a world-wide viewpoint, more than a third of the population will be obese. In poorer countries on the other hand, due to many people being economically disadvantaged, many people face poverty and under-nourishment due to not being able to afford food. In fact, almost 800 million people globally face hunger daily. It has been predicted that in the next 20 years, half the population will be under-nourished, mainly in Africa and Asia, due there being an even bigger population and not enough food.

However, it isn’t too late. If we focus on having more nutrition in our diets, and feeding mouths in poorer countries, we can definitely help the situation drastically. We all must do our part and work together before it’s too late.