The epidemic of hunger that millions of people around the world face causes more than just death. Those affected by hunger suffer multiple stages of disease, malnutrition and psychological illness before their bodies become too weak to survive in such unstable environments.

Malnutrition

One of the major affects that hunger has on the men, women and children who suffer from it is malnutrition. The most common form of malnutrition is iron deficiency, which is known to stunt growth and impair mental development in both children and adults. Iron deficiency also contributes to the high number of women who die each day during childbirth.

Other forms of malnutrition include Vitamin A deficiency, which causes the death of over one million infants per year as well as blindness in adults, and iodine deficiency, which is the main cause of early brain damage.

Hunger also causes those affected to be highly vulnerable to disease and sickness. When the body does not receive proper nutrition, the immune system is weakened and becomes more susceptible to diseases and sicknesses such as malaria, measles and respiratory infections.

On the contrary to most beliefs, many of the deaths that occur every day in developing countries are not caused by starvation, but rather by these illnesses and diseases.

Psychological Illnesses

Those who suffer from hunger in third world countries are often also afflicted with mental and psychological illnesses. The risks for mental health problems begin as early as birth and childhood. Iron deficiencies during pregnancy can cause premature birth, which can lead to slow cognitive development, and iodine deficiency disorders are a main cause of forms of mental retardation like cretinism.

Death is only the end of a string of illnesses that people suffering in poverty-stricken countries must deal with. Malnutrition, sickness and mental disease are physical maladies that eventually result in the deaths of millions of men, women and children every year.