Economic and Health Consequences of Undernutrition

Abstract

An adequate variety of food necessary to provide a proper nutritional balance has always been a topic of prime concern for social economists. Moral and political concern caused the initiation of a series of studies focusing on the magnitude and causes of undernutrition. This article addresses concerns about some economic and health consequences of undernutrition and discusses some adverse health effects that may be associated with improper food balances. Findings suggest that a high percentage of undernutrition in the USA is concentrated in areas where social and economic deprivation is most prevalent, and shows that a complex of factors in the culture of poverty appear to be linked to undernutrition and non‐organic retardation. Two farm work crews were tested over a year with the objective of gaining more information about their dietary habit and nutritional status. Dietary deficiencies expressed as Bitot Spots (27.7 per cent) Visible Caries or ulceration (21.6 per cent) were found consistently among workers in the study sample population. Using F statistics and controlling for sex, male workers were found to be more adversely affected by dietary deficiencies than female workers.