The following statistics come from UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I found them through Compassion International. My comments are in italics.
- 925 million people worldwide are chronically hungry - almost one in seven. Almost 73 million people in the United States of America are obese.
- 75% of the world's hungry live in rural areas, primarily in villages in Africa and Asia.
- 146 million children in developing countries are underweight, the result of chronic and acute hunger. And here in the USA we can find news stories everyday about our children being obese. One out of three are considered overweight or obese.
- 17 million children each year are born underweight, "inheriting" malnutrition from their undernourished mothers. Malnourished mothers have trouble breastfeeding their babies and in developing countries other feeding options aren't readily available.
- 7.7 million children die each year before age 5. In 53% of these deaths malnutrition is a factor. One child is too many. It is completely unacceptable.
- Normal growth is compromised.
- Physical activity is difficult.
- Resistance to disease is lessened.
- Learning ability is diminished.
Nutrition Comparisons: On average, the body needs at least 2,100 calories per day to allow for a normal, healthy life.
In 2007, these three countries averaged the most calories consumed per person per day:
- United States - 3,770
- Austria - 3,760
- Greece - 3,700
- Haiti - 1,850
- Ethiopia - 1,950
- Tanzania - 2,020
Click here to find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child.
