NUTRITION: ITS IMPACT ON NATIONAL EDUCATION & HEALTHY GROWTH.

A layman ponders on the relevance the nutrition has to national development viewing from health and educational standpoints. The facts however stands that nutrition cannot be ruled out in everything most especially in terms of education and health of a nation. How? A thorough or at least far-fetched enlightenment on nutrition is of prior importance. The list of definitions of this phrase is endless; Scientists, Doctors, Nurses, Dietetics and Pediatricians of different geographical extractions and scholastic backgrounds have their words on it.

Krause and Mahan (1984) however, sums theirs this way, nutrition is the process by which a person receives and utilizes the materials (food) necessary for the maintenance of its function and for the growth and for the maintenance of its components. In other words, it is what a person eats and how the body uses it and also concerned with how food is produced, processed, handled, sold, prepared, shared, digested, absorbed and used.

Having conveyed the message of what nutrition is all about in a clear-cut dimension, we wonder how germane it is to a nation’s education and health. The question comes to our minds, why are cases of death more prevalent amongst African children most especially in Nigeria more than their European counterparts? The answer is of course not unreasonable. Nigeria and the rest of Africa till date has poorest economy which heralds the fact that its inhabitants are the most impoverished, better still, malnourished people. What a pathetic sight! A balanced diet, one which consists of the different classes of food in their right proportion has its primary role of building the immune system of the body, activating antibodies with a bid of stampeding all stubborn arising germs or micro-organisms in the body. But alas, our African brothers are not well educated or oriented on the need for a balanced diet. This accounts for the difference; I believe you will agree.

World Health Organization (2006) classified nutrition as an input to and foundation for health and development. Interaction of infection and malnutrition is well documented. Better nutrition means stronger immune systems, less illness and better health. Healthy children learn better. Healthy people are stronger, are more productive and more able to create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of both poverty and hunger in a sustainable way. Better nutrition is a prime entry point to ending poverty and a milestone to achieve better quality of life. Freedom from hunger and malnutrition is a basic human right and their alleviation is a fundamental prerequisite for human and national development. According to WHO, under-nutrition among pregnant women in developing countries leads to one of six infants born with low birth weight. This is not only a risk factor for neonatal deaths, but also causes learning disabilities, mental retardation, poor health, blindness and premature death.

Inappropriate feeding of infants and young children are responsible for one-third of the cases of malnutrition and one of three people in developing countries are affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies and therefore more subject to infection, birth defects and impaired physical and psycho-intellectual development. In addition to this, forty million people living with HIV/AIDS are exposed to an increased risk of food insecurity and malnutrition, especially in poor setting like Nigeria, which may further aggravate their situation. Also, under-and over-nutrition problems and diet-related chronic diseases account for more than half of the world’s diseases and hundreds of millions of naira, dollars, euro or pounds in public expenditure. This occurs due to alteration in basophil, netrophil, esinophil and the entire white blood cells.

Antonnie Laurent Lavossier, the father of nutrition explains “good nutrition erases high mortality rate, hence, paving way for increase in the country’s workforce”. A large workforce as you will agree means greater output of a nation. Many times I wonder if we have ever thought that children transmute into youths. It is no exaggeration that water drops from our eyeballs when memory brings to our heart the countless number of child deaths in Nigeria and the entire globe. Though, there are several attributable factors to this, it is a truism that inadequate nutrition is also a highly contributing factor.

The renowned music guru, Michael Jackson in Liberia on the event of gazing at dead children, sobbed shunning comfort. He was not to be comforted. His words “Africa, what a continent to behold? What unsightly figure not to behold? Dead leaders of tomorrow” I lament on the point of what number of us thinks in a like manner. President, Governors, Doctors, Nurses, Directors, Scientist, Dietetics of the highest cadre, children are dead! Several factors are contributive, malnourishment an arrowhead factor. This is a pointer to a fact; good childhood nutrition secures good leaders and a good nation.

Moreover, we are reminded that adequate nutrition is portrayed in good functioning of the functional part of the cerebrum, cerebellum, hypothalamus, pons varolli, medulla oblongata and the entire limbic system. In other words, it aids good development of brain cells. Why do Nigerians fail drastically in primary school examinations, West African Examination Council (WAEC), Joint Admission & Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams and pass out in tertiary institutions with ordinary pass after several carry-overs? It is because most of them have badly up bringing and are not well fed. If children are given the adequate nutritive values, it increases the number of gurus, experts and geniuses and as such develops the country in a rapid manner. I was opportune to come across the bibliography of Thomas Edison, he accomplished an enviable feat, at the age of twelve invented the electric bulb, and just some years later owned a company called General Electric Company. What a feat to beat! Michael Jackson released his first album at eight and his influence is felt in the music industry across the globe. This is mysterious! Henry Ford owned the largest and most established motor company in his days, exceedingly surprising he started at the age of fourteen. What an achievement is this! If the list of such is anything to go by, we are convinced that children have large quotas to contribute to different industries and sectors of our nation’s economy and this can only be traced to adequate nutrition.

How else can we stress the necessity of a good nutrition? The Greek philosopher, Aristotle of blessed memory said “truth is revealed in dialogue” let’s improves our core values and disposition towards nutrition; its importance cannot be adequately expressible. If we base on adequate nutrition and our children well fed, our present and future is in good shape, our limit is beyond the skies. Before we know it, our nation is in limelight!

Olajide.MOSES Olumide,
Julius Berger Clinic,
15, Ijora causeway,
Ijora-Olopa, Lagos.
Tel…08034176231
mosmedicals@yahoo.com