Under nutrition of Philippine children

[GeoffH]

5 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

They have as good as diet as they can from the mountains and bartering crops for meat but apparently the worms get a fair share of the nutrients. 

I read about this issue a few years ago I made a point of ensuring the family children (of more distant relatives) had access to 'worm medicine' when they come to the family dinners we occasionally put on (with support from the family matriach who is university educated so it didn't look like 'white man telling them what to do').

It might be my imagination but the family children do seem to be growing up somewhat bigger and stronger than the other local kids.

And yes some of that might be the somewhat better nutrition but I'm betting part of it is a lower worm load.

The article I read back then suggested that even a single dose would reduce the amount of worms in their body and make a big difference.

 

[hk blues]

3 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I read about this issue a few years ago I made a point of ensuring the family children (of more distant relatives) had access to 'worm medicine' when they come to the family dinners we occasionally put on (with support from the family matriach who is university educated so it didn't look like 'white man telling them what to do').

It might be my imagination but the family children do seem to be growing up somewhat bigger and stronger than the other local kids.

And yes some of that might be the somewhat better nutrition but I'm betting part of it is a lower worm load.

The article I read back then suggested that even a single dose would reduce the amount of worms in their body and make a big difference.

 

My son's school have an annual programme to give the worm medicine.  Strangely, the take-up rate is not that high - again we see some degree of suspicion amongst the population about such "stuff".

[GeoffH]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

Strangely, the take-up rate is not that high - again we see some degree of suspicion amongst the population about such "stuff".

Yes we definitely encountered that issue, if it wasn't for the most influention senior woman in the family pushing the issue pretty hard I suspect we'd have had little take up too.

It might be cynical but free food, free soda and kareoke at a family party... for the kids taking a worm tablet was fairly effective in overcoming initial resistence.

Edited June 18, 2021 by GeoffH

[Explorer]

On 6/16/2021 at 8:16 PM, Mike J said:

Below is just a sample of what various agencies have to say about nutrition in the Philippines.   If you take the time to read them you will find that some are actually from the Philippine government. 

Without reading the articles, I know there is a problem when mothers complain they have no milk for their babies while the fathers have no problem keeping the red horse flowing.

Undernutrition is also a problem with the elderly, for financial reasons but some because they have no teeth left…

[scott h]

13 hours ago, GeoffH said:

And yes some of that might be the somewhat better nutrition

My money is on overall nutrition. 

On my first training visit to South Korea in 1982, when SK was still recovering from the war, the SK soldiers who were born in the late 50's were all about 5 foot 5 and really skinny. My next training exercise was in 2001 these SK's were all born in the 80's and most were pushing 6 foot.