Malnutrition can result in increased risk of illness, death, says Nutritionist

The Executive Secretary, Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Beatrice Eluaka, says malnutrition can result in increased risk of illness, death and as well leads to lower level of cognitive development.

Eluaka made the assertion during an “Online Training for Journalists, A National COVID-19 Nutrition Communication Campaign’’.

It was convened by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) and hosted by the Development Communications Network (DEVCOMS).

According to her, malnutrition is a direct result of insufficient food intake or repeated infectious diseases or inadequate care practices or a combination of the three.

Eluaka said that it could result in increased risk of illness and death and also result in “a lower level of cognitive development’’.

She said that recurrent infections increase the risk of malnutrition and poor nutritional status results in lowered immune status and predisposes one to infectious diseases, thus propagating the vicious cycle of infection and malnutrition.

Eluaka said: “We need to be careful on the kind of foods we take to avoid malnutrition and infections.

“There are things in our community that we have and still eat well. They don’t have to be expensive.

“We need to take care of what we are eating, because what we eat or do not eat will work for us or against us.

“Either with the COVID-19 infection or any other infection, it is important that we build our immunity.’’

Eluaka said many foods in our localities are nutritious, urging Nigerians to learn to take them, rather than overly processed foods.

She advised people to watch the carbohydrate food they take to avoid excess sugar intake and overweight.

“For example, if we want to eat our pounded yam, we should eat it with lots of vegetables. Cut down on the amount of the starch that we are eating.

“Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, plenty of Okro and so on. Drink enough water and get adequate exercise and rest.

“You need to balance the food you eat with the amount of work that you do,” Eluaka advised.

Also, Dr Batholomew Brai, President of the society, advised Nigerians saying: “Let food be your medicine.

“If you eat well, exercise well, take care of proper hygiene, you may not need medicine; good food is what you need.”

Brai said that the society was committed to making available the right information for journalists to disseminate during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Also, Dr Auwalu Kawu, a Social Behaviour Change Communications Expert, said that media have great role to play to change the nutrition behaviour in Nigeria, urging them to tailor communication toward same.

“Mass Media campaigns can directly and indirectly produce positive nutrition health changes or prevent negative changes in nutrition health-related behaviours across large populations.

“Since mass media messages are designed to reach large audiences, changes in behaviour that become norms within an individual’s social network might influence that person’s decisions without them having being directly exposed to or initially persuaded by the campaign.

“Mass Media campaigns can prompt public discussion of health issues and lead to changes in public policy, resulting in constraints on individuals’ behaviour and thereby change,” Kawu said.