Module 1. Lesson 1.

Understanding Food
and Nutrition-2

At this stage, you have already completed

several major subjects under the BSND
course. As such, you are expected to have
understood basic concepts/terms used in the
course such as:

Food. It is what people eat and drink to stay

alive and healthy, for growth, development,
work, and other physical activities. As such,
it simply implies that if you do not eat and
drink food regularly, you will feel sick or have
poor health due to the lack of nutrients.

Nutrients. These are substances responsible

for giving energy, building and repairing body On the other hand, micronutrients include
tissues, and regulating bodily processes. All vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are
foods contain nutrients. Our body does not classified as fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and
produce all essential nutrients, that is why K) and water-soluble (vitamins B and C).
you need to eat food. It is important to
remember too that there is no single food that
can provide all the nutrients needed for
normal bodily functions. Thus, it is important
to consume a variety of foods daily.

There are types of nutrients,

macronutrients, and micronutrients.

Macronutrients include carbohydrates,

protein, and fats. The body needs a relatively
large amount of macronutrients (measured in
grams) to provide energy (measured in
calories).
 Nutrition. It is defined as the study of how
the body uses food. It is the process through
which living organisms use food to maintain
life, growth, and human functions.
Nutritional Status. This refers to the
physiological state of an individual.
Malnutrition It is a condition of the body
resulting from a deficiency, excess, or
imbalance in one or more nutrients.

TOOLS TO PROMOTE PROPER NUTRITION

Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos

NGF are primary recommendations to promote

good health through nutrition (FNRI-DOST,
2012). It contains nutrition messages to have
a healthy lifestyle for all age groups from
infants to adults, pregnant and lactating
women, and the elderly.

The ten (10) nutritional guidelines are as

follows:

Minerals are subdivided into major and trace.

Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus,
magnesium, sodium, and potassium while
trace minerals consist of iron, iodine, and
zinc, among others.
 Pinggang Pinoy

It is a new, easy-to-understand food guide

that uses a familiar food plate model that
conveys the right food group proportions
on a per-meal basis to meet an adult's energy
and nutrient needs. It serves as a visual tool
to help Filipinos adopt healthy eating habits
during mealtimes by delivering effective
dietary and healthy lifestyle messages.

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of

the Department of Science and Technology
came up with this visual tool to answer the
question of what a person should eat per meal
in order to be healthy. It also serves as a
quick and easy guide to determine the amount
of each food group per meal.
Ten Kumainments
Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid for
The National Nutrition Council launched its Filipinos
popular version of NGF called the "10
Kumainments". It aims to promote positive The Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid for
nutrition practices to prevent malnutrition Filipinos is another tool to educate people
and encourage the adoption of a healthy on variety, moderation, and proportion of
lifestyle. The nutritional guidelines also aim food such that the relative size of each section
to address and prevent diet-related NCDs represents the number of daily servings
such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular recommended.
diseases. The 10 Kumainments guidelines are
simple and easy to remember that Filipinos The base layer, across the widest part of
can adopt to improve their nutritional status. the pyramid, is for the food group that
should be eaten in the greatest amount like
rice, corn, bread, and cereal. The narrow top
shows the group that should be eaten least Availability refers to the physical existence of
such as fats, oils, and sugary food. food either from its own production or from
the markets.
There are seven guides recommended for the
different age and physiological groups Accessibility is when all households and all
(children 1-6 years old, school children, individuals within the households have
adolescents, adults 20-39 years, pregnant enough resources to obtain proper foods for a
women, lactating women, and older persons) nutritious diet.
(FNRI-DOST, ND).
Use of food refers to the physiological
Module 1. Lesson 2. Understanding Food conditions that affect an individual’s food
and Nutrition Security-2 preference within a household for what they
want to eat.
THE CONCEPT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION
SECURITY Utilization, on the other hand, refers to how
the body uses the food as affected by one’s
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) health status.
states that food security is achieved when “all
people, at all times, have physical, social, and Stability refers to the temporal dimension of
economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutrition security, that is, the timeframe over
nutritious food which meets the dietary needs which food security is being considered.
and food preferences for an active and healthy
life.” Food insecurity is the absence of food, which
leads to hunger. Hunger is a condition where
Nutrition security, on the other hand, is people cannot get enough food to provide
defined as having “adequate nutritional status nutrients to have a healthy life. It is a form of
in terms of protein, energy, vitamins, and severe food insecurity and if prolonged, can
minerals for all household members at all lead to undernutrition. Often, people who are
times” (Weingartner, 2004 as cited at insecure are at the same time
Quisimbing, 1995). undernourished.

Thus, food and nutrition security will only be There are two types of food insecurity:
achieved if adequate food (quantity, quality, chronic or long-term and transitory or
safety, socio-cultural acceptability) is always short-term. Chronic food insecurity is the
available and accessible to all, and individuals inability to meet food needs daily while
satisfactorily use and utilize food to live a transitory is the inability to meet foods
healthy and active life. temporarily during the lean season, drought,
and floods.
The figure below shows the conceptual
framework of food and nutrition security. The FARM TO TABLE FOOD PATH
framework is influenced by two major factors – Understanding how food gets to the table is
physical and temporal. The physical crucial in your role as a nutrition worker. You
determinant is the food flow: availability, need to know how food is produced, processed
accessibility, use, and utilization. The and stored, marketed and distributed,
temporal determinant refers to stability which prepared, and consumed to see its link to food
affects all three physical elements. and nutrition security, proper nutrition, and
good health. The figure below presents the
food path from production to nutrient
utilization.

While the food path looks straightforward, it is

rather complex. It has several components:
food production, food distribution, food
consumption, and nutrient utilization.
 even if people have the money to buy food, if
supply is limited there is nothing to buy.
Similarly, if there are no farm-to-market
roads, transporting goods would be difficult.

Fortunately, there are ways to remove blocks

in the food path. For example, the
construction of farm-to-market roads could
address the problem of food distribution.
Engaging in backyard gardening can also
avert the block so is food consumption.
Preparing and cooking only the food needed
Food production includes the availability of can prevent wastage. Taking note of expiration
agricultural inputs and practices that dates and nutrient content of canned or
determines the kind and amounts of food processed products is essential. Being alert
grown such as complementary activities of about news reports on contaminated food
preparation, cultivation, raising livestock, products can also prevent blocks in the food
harvesting, catching fish, storage, processing, path.
and preservation to prevent food losses.
Module 1. Lesson 3. Forms, Causes, and
Food distribution refers to how food is Consequences of Malnutrition-2
transported, processed, sold, and stored or the
ways and means by which food is physically FORMS OF MALNUTRITION
and economically available to people through
trade, marketing, road infrastructures, Remember what malnutrition is? It is a
transport facilities, employment, and income. condition of the body resulting from a
deficiency, excess, or imbalance in one or
Food consumption includes preparation and more nutrients.
eating. It pertains to the amount and variety
of food consumed as influenced by income Although malnutrition and undernutrition are
levels, socio-cultural factors, family size, often used interchangeably, it is important to
preferences and eating patterns, religious know that there are several forms of
restrictions, customs and traditions, and level malnutrition.
of knowledge on nutrition.

Nutrient utilization of food refers to the

state of health, illnesses, and physiological
conditions that affect digestion, metabolism,
and how food is used by the human body for
growth, development, and maintenance of vital
bodily processes.

In case one or more of the paths are blocked,

they can contribute to food insecurity and
malnutrition. This block could be any factor,
UNDERNUTRITION
event, or situation that will stop, delay, or
prevent the flow of food in the food path. The
Undernutrition is a result of having
food path can either be long or short. Families
inadequate quantity of food over a long period
who grow their own food have shorter food
of time that impairs the physical development
paths while those who buy food have longer.
of the body. This is determined by taking the
However, each step in the food path is
weight and height measurements of an
interrelated.
individual and comparing them with
established standards such as the Child
For instance, if food production is low, less
Growth Standards. Undernutrition comes in
food would be available in the market. Thus,
different forms. These are stunting,
underweight, and wasting. Wasting can Children with MAM are 3-4 times at risk of
further be classified as Moderate Acute dying while 9-12 times at risk of dying for
Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute children with SAM than those who are well-
Malnutrition (SAM) - marasmus, kwashiorkor, nourished (National Guidelines on the
and marasmic-kwashiorkor. Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition for
Children under Five Years, 2015). Diagnostic
Underweight means that one’s weight is less criteria for SAM and MAM are shown in the
than the expected weight for one’s age table below.
compared to a normal population. It can
either be moderate or severe depending on the
degree of deviation from the standard.
Moderate underweight is when the weight of
the child is below -2 SD (standard deviation)
to -3 SD from the median weight-for-age of a
reference population. The condition of
underweight is considered severe if weight is
below -3 SD from the median weight-for-age of
a reference population. Under SAM, there are several conditions:

Stunting means that the child’s height is less Marasmus is a form of severe malnutrition
than expected for his/her age (underweight- where a child is severely wasted and appears
for-age). Thus, it also means that the child highly “skin and bones” due to all forms of
has not grown to his/her potential due to energy deficiency.
chronic undernutrition or inadequate food to Kwashiorkor is a form of severe
promote growth for a long period of time, undernutrition also referred to as edematous
frequent or long duration of illnesses at some malnutrition due to protein deficiency in the
point in the past. setting of adequate energy intake. Symptoms
may include edema, thin, sparse or discolored
hair, and with skin with discolored patches
that ay crack and peel.
Marasmic kwashiorkor is caused by acute or
chronic protein deficiency and chronic energy
deficit and is characterized by edema, wasting,
stunting, and mild hepatomegaly.
Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) is the term
used to include all malnourished children
whether they have moderate or severe type of
Wasting means that the child’s weight is less wasting.
than expected for his/her height
(underweight-for-height). It is generally a Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) is a result
result of reduced food intake, illness, of long-standing intake of a diet that is
inappropriate childcare practices, or a inadequate in energy to sustain optimal
combination of these. It is also sometimes growth and physical activity. This term is
called “acute malnutrition.” usually used to describe the nutritional status
of adults. CED results in thinness and low
Acute malnutrition is a major risk factor for physical performance and work capacity.
child mortality and affects a total of 5.6 % of
children under the age of 5 years in the OVERNUTRITION
Philippines (NNS, 2018). It can be classified as This is a condition caused by an imbalance in
(1) moderately acute malnutrition (MAM), and energy consumed and energy expended. It is
(2) severe acute malnutrition (SAM) depending usually caused by too much consumption of
on the degree of wasting compared to the food or excess energy over a long period of
specific cut-off points or growth reference time. Other causes are related to the existence
standards and presence of pitting edema. of hormonal imbalance or low basal metabolic
rates.
 are sources of beta-carotene, a pre-formed
Overnutrition contributes to the development Vitamin A, which is less readily absorbed by
of certain health problems during adulthood. the body.
These include NCDs such as hypertension,
diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, VADD can lead to disturbed cellular
and other conditions such as osteoarthritis, differentiation, depressed immune response,
gallbladder diseases, respiratory problems, and impaired iron mobilization. This is
and certain types of cancers. manifested through increased infection,
morbidity and mortality, growth retardation,
Overnutrition may refer to being overweight anemia, and xerophthalmia or blindness.
or obese. Overweight means weighing too Infants, children, and lactating women are
much for one’s length/height. Obesity is the most at risk.
condition of being severely overweight.
The WHO (2006) cut-off points (using serum
Overnutrition during childhood can be retinol) to determine if VADD is a public
determined using weight-for-age index and health problem are the following:
weight-for-height index based on the CGS. To Mild > 2% to < 10%
determine the nutritional status among Moderate > 10% to < 20%
adults, the Body Mass Index (BMI) is used. Severe > 20%

BMI is computed as weight in kilograms VADD occurs when children do not consume
divided by the square of the height in meters enough natural sources of Vitamin A from
(kg/m2). The table below shows the cut-off foods or do not receive Vitamin A supplements
points used in classifying adults and lactating on a regular basis. In addition, frequent
women. Note that pregnant women have illness (prolonged diarrhea, measles) and
different cut-offs considering weight gain undernutrition aggravate the problem,
during pregnancy. increasing the child’s metabolic demand for
Vitamin A, and disrupting his/her intake and
SPECIFIC DEFICIENCY (MICRONUTRIENT absorption of food.
DEFICIENCY)
The people most at risk of VADD are infants
Specific Deficiency is a condition resulting and children (6-59 months), infants who are
from a relative or absolute lack of an not breastfed properly, and pregnant and
individual nutrient such as Vitamin A, iron, or lactating women. By improving the Vitamin A
iodine. Micronutrient deficiencies or status of children alone, 23% of young deaths
micronutrient malnutrition include: Vitamin A worldwide could be prevented. Children who
Deficiency Disorders (VADD), Iron Deficiency received Vitamin A are less likely to visit a
Anemia (IDA), and Iodine Deficiency Disorders clinic, be hospitalized, and suffer from the
(IDD). more severe forms and complications of
diarrhea and measles. Thus, improving
Vitamin A Deficiency Disorder (VADD) is a Vitamin A status not only prevents blindness
term used to cover all physiological and saves lives, but greatly reduces the
disturbances caused by low Vitamin A status demands on the health care system which
including clinical signs and symptoms. means large health care savings.
Measuring its level in the blood or looking for
changes in the eyes or difficulty seeing in the Iron deficiency anemia
dark implies Vitamin A deficiency.
Iron is a mineral essential to the body. It is
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that the found mainly in hemoglobin and myoglobin or
body needs for normal growth, development, the muscle component of animals. It helps
and vision. It also helps the body fight form red blood cells. Meat, fish, and poultry
diseases such as diarrhea, measles, and contain a more absorbable form of iron (heme)
respiratory tract infections. Animal products than vegetables such as legumes and green
such as eggs, some fish, chicken, and liver leafy vegetables (non-heme). IDA is
contain Vitamin A. On the other hand, plants
characterized by a decrease in the Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD)
concentration of hemoglobin in the blood.
Another important nutrient for body growth is
Hemoglobin is responsible for transporting iodine. Iodine is a micronutrient necessary to
oxygen to tissues and organs in the body. The produce the thyroid hormone (thyroxin)
lack of iron in the body leads to anemia. IDA responsible for controlling the normal
results from low levels of iron and low iron functioning of the brain. It is a mineral found
bioavailability in the diet; deficiencies in in shellfish, other seafood, and plants grown
nutrients linked with iron absorption and in iodine-rich soil. It is commonly consumed
metabolism like Vitamin C; the presence of through iodized salt.
hookworm, schistosomiasis, and other
pathological blood losses, including IDD may result in goiter, poor mental
hemorrhoids, peptic ulcer, and impaired iron development, congenital and physical
absorption and utilization; repeated deformities like deaf-mutism, squint or
pregnancies, bleeding associated with an “pagkaduling,” mental retardation,
intrauterine device (IUD), excessive menstrual spontaneous abortion, and stillbirths.
bleeding, and elevated needs with pregnancy,
rapid growth in childhood and adolescence. IDD is determined by measuring the amount
of iodine in the urine (urinary iodine excretion
Symptoms of IDA include general weakness or or UIE) and by detecting the presence of a
fatigue, shortness of breath upon exertion, goiter or enlargement at the base of the neck.
dizziness, and pallor (pale skin, conjunctiva,
palm, nail bed, and inner portion of the lower Poor mental development may lead to a loss of
lip). Adverse effects of IDA have decreased 13.5 intelligence quotient at birth among
work productivity, poor academic infants of iodine-deficient women (ACC-SCN,
performance, low resistance to infections, and 2000). The indicator of iodine deficiency
in extreme cases, death. elimination is a median value of 100 μg/L.
Table 1.11 presents the criteria for assessing
Anemia is determined by measuring the the severity of IDD in a population.
level of hemoglobin in the blood and
comparing it using the WHO Cut-off. The NUTRITION SITUATION GLOBALLY AND IN
criteria for determining the severity and THE PHILIPPINES
magnitude of anemia in a population are Different forms of malnutrition exist in the
shown in the tables below: country. The Expanded National Nutrition
Survey of FNRI (2018) is presented in the table
below.
 development problems that are directly related
to the dietary intake and health status of an
individual.

The framework relates the causal factors for

malnutrition with different socio-
organizational levels, e.g., immediate causes
that affect individuals, underlying causes
related to families or households or
communities, and the basic causes
concerning the regional, sub-national, and
national levels.

The causes of malnutrition are classified as

immediate, underlying, and basic with factors
at one level influencing the other levels. The
arrows show the inter-relationships of the
various factors, but different causes can
The 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey operate independently of each other. However,
indicates that 1 in 3 Filipino children 0-60 causes of malnutrition impinge on and
months are stunted or short for their age. This reinforce one another.
statistic is equivalent to about 4.6 million
stunted children nationwide. The 4.6 million Inadequate food intake combined with illness
is also close to the combined projected may result in different forms of
population of regions CAR and Caraga for undernutrition. The necessary conditions for
2019 at 4.8 million. Imagine the magnitude of food and nutrition security are access to food,
stunted children in the country! They can adequate care of children and women, access
essentially comprise an entire region (11). to basic health services, and a healthy
environment. The availability and control of
On a global scale, in terms of stunting, human, economic, and organizational
Filipinos are second shortest in the resources determine the potential to fulfill
Association of Southeast Asian Nations three of the necessary conditions (food, care,
(ASEAN) region, 9th place in the global burden and health) for food and nutrition security.
of stunting, and 10th in terms of wasting. The
Philippines is included in the Top 10 among An updated version of the 1997 UNICEF
the worst. conceptual framework of malnutrition below
illustrates the causes and levels of causality of
According to the 2016 Global Nutrition Report, both over and undernutrition as well as the
the Philippines is among the top 50 countries short- and long-term consequences, and the
with the highest rates of wasting and stunting intergenerational effects (Regional Report on
(ranked 38th and 45th, respectively) Nutrition Security in ASEAN Volume 2, page
(International Food Policy Research Institute, 11).
2016) (1). Based on the 2018 WHO Global
Nutrition Report the only significant form of
malnutrition afflicting the Philippines is
stunting.

CAUSES OF MALNUTRITION

United Nations International Children's

Emergency Fund (UNICEF) (ASEAN) developed
a conceptual framework that shows the
determinants or causes of the nutritional
status of children. It depicts how
undernutrition becomes the outcome of
As reflected in the conceptual framework, poor the growth of both fetus and child but are not
dietary intake, physical inactivity are the enough for normal brain development.
immediate causes of overnutrition while poor Although all nutrients are necessary for brain
dietary intake and presence of diseases growth, key nutrients that support
constitute the immediate causes of neurodevelopment include protein; zinc; iron;
undernutrition. At the household or family choline; folate; iodine; vitamins A, D, B6, and
level, insufficient access to healthy foods, B12; and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty
inadequate care and feeding practices and acids.
behaviors, poor water, sanitation and food
safety, inadequate health services, and Failure to provide key nutrients during this
sedentary lifestyles and behaviors constitute critical period of brain development may result
the underlying causes of malnutrition. in lifelong deficits in brain function despite
subsequent nutrient repletion. Understanding
Finally, basic causes of malnutrition can the complex interplay of micro-and
also be identified at the societal level such macronutrients and neurodevelopment is key
as inadequate access to food supply, low to moving beyond simply recommending a
income and poverty, inadequate maternal “good diet” to optimize nutrient delivery for the
education, lack of investment in health developing child.
services, poor infrastructure (roads and
water supply) and inadequate social protection All providers caring for children can advocate
schemes (Regional Report on Nutrition for healthy diets for mothers, infants, and
Security in ASEAN Volume 2, page 12). young children in the first 1000 days.
Prioritizing public policies that ensure the
CONSEQUENCES OF MALNUTRITION provision of adequate nutrients and healthy
eating during this crucial time would ensure
There are many consequences of malnutrition that all children have an early foundation for
and its effect extends to the next generation optimal neurodevelopment, a key factor in
some of these are along with morbidity and long-term health” (Schwarzeburg et al, 2018).
mortality, economic losses, behavioral effects.
The first 1,000 days of life - the time spanning
Morbidity and Mortality roughly between conception and one’s second
birthday - is a unique period of opportunity
“Undernutrition explains around 45% of when the foundations of optimum health,
deaths among children under five, mainly in growth, and neurodevelopment across the
low and middle-income countries. The health lifespan are established. Yet, too frequently in
consequences of overweight and obesity developing countries, poverty and its
contribute to an estimated 4 million deaths attendant condition, malnutrition, weaken
(7.1% of all deaths) and 120 million healthy this foundation, leading to earlier mortality
years of life lost (disability-adjusted life years and significant morbidities such as poor
or DALYs) across the global population [4.9% health, and more insidiously, substantial loss
of all DALYs among adults]” (2018 Global of neurodevelopmental potential (Cusick et al,
Nutrition Report, p. 21). Meanwhile, the table ND).
below presents the consequences of
malnutrition throughout the life cycle. CONCEPTS OF DOUBLE BURDEN OF
MALNUTRITION AND NUTRITION IN THE
BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS LIFE CYCLE

“Maternal prenatal nutrition and the child's Double Burden of Malnutrition

nutrition in the first 2 years of life (1000 days)
are crucial factors in a child’s It refers to the simultaneous occurrence of
neurodevelopment and lifelong mental health undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies,
(Figure 1.21). Child and adult health risks, overnutrition or obesity, and other nutrition-
including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, related chronic diseases among different
may be programmed by nutritional status population groups. For example, there are
during this period. Calories are essential for households with underweight children but
with overweight mothers like what is and overnutrition in the later years. Thus, it is
happening in the Philippines. This situation very critical to invest in the first 1000 days of
can be averted if poor economic conditions a child to avoid stunting, wasting, or
improve. With economic improvement, the underweight/overweight, which could affect
amount and variety of foods consumed tend to its overall development.
rise; and mortality rates of infants and young
children decline as communicable diseases The “intergenerational and generational” cycle
are more successfully put under control. of undernutrition must be stopped. Hence,
this information is important to the local chief
The Global Nutrition Report (2018) presented executives (LCEs) and members of the local
a new analysis showing that almost 25 million nutrition committee (LNC) because it shows
children (0-59 months old) are either stunted that undernutrition does not occur among
and overweight or stunted and wasted. Out of infants and young children only but also
this 25 million, 14 million belongs to the Asian among different age groups. Moreover, the
region. information could be a powerful guide in the
formulation of appropriate policies and
Nutrition in the Life Cycle nutrition interventions.

The nutritional needs of people vary according POSITIVE DEVIANCE

to age, gender, health status, physiological,
and physical activity. It is best to have good Positive deviance is a concept that can help
nutrition in all stages of life because the cycle LNCs in assessing the nutrition situation and
of poor nutrition is perpetuated across eventually in the planning activity. It is based
generations. This implies that nutrition on the observation of uncommon behaviors
problems can change and interact over time. and approaches of specific individuals or
groups, which enable them to find better
The generational and intergenerational effects solutions to problems compared with their
of undernutrition begin when undernourished peers while having the same resources and
adolescent girls and women give birth to facing similar or worse challenges.
underweight and often stunted babies. These
infants are less able to learn as young From the perspective of nutrition, it
children and are more likely to be parents to represents a child who grows and develops
infants with intrauterine growth retardation adequately in low-income families living in
(IUGR) and low birth weight. Moreover, they impoverished environments. In other words,
are economically less able to generate children of poor families who are expected to
livelihood and likely to develop NCDs later in be undernourished can be found to be thriving
life. well. They are characterized as resilient
children and referred to as “positive deviants.”
Among children, growth failure is most For example, positive deviants were found in
common between 6-24 months of age. This households where children are fed with tiny
period also represents the window of shrimps and crabs found in rice paddies (not
opportunity for intervention. In case stunting traditionally fed to small children) plus sweet
occurred in the first two years of life, potato greens.
interventions focused on children beyond two
years of age will not be very useful in reversing Parents of positive deviants are said to be:
their growth retardation. 1. upwardly mobile;
2. non-fatalistic;
Apparently, the first 1000 days of a baby, 3. take initiatives;
which starts from conception and before the 4. adopt modernizing practices;
second birthday of the child is very important. 5. tend to be more enterprising (with the
The first 1000 days is dubbed as the “golden mother often employed);
window of opportunity” because it is during 6. effectively using health and family
this period when growth faltering happens. planning services and educational facilities;
Studies have shown that there is a link 7. have higher aspirations;
between undernutrition in the first year of life 8. invest more in each child; and
9. practice positive behaviors such as
breastfeeding.

RIGHT TO FOOD

The right to food and freedom from hunger is

a basic human right. The right to adequate
food is embodied under the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social,
and Cultural Rights. As well, the 1987
Philippine Constitution, Article XV Section 3
provides “that the state shall ensure the right
of children to proper care and nutrition.”

However, the right to adequate food does not

mean giving food for free; rather, it is about
being able to feed one’s self in dignity. It is a
responsibility of duty bearers like the
government to its population, the claim of
holders of human rights. Claim holders or the
population though should also be responsible
to uphold this right.

The LGUs can and should strive to uphold

this right through the planning and
implementation of local-level nutrition plans
and programs. LGUs can be held accountable
by the people for not providing the condition
in which they can live free from hunger and
with dignity. This implies that food availability
in each locality must be ensured.