TACKLING A GLOBAL ISSUE

Malnutrition’s Impact on Underserved Communities

Factors in your everyday life from where you live to where you work can have an impact on your overall health and well-being. It can determine your access to healthcare, education, economic opportunities, and social support.

A Renewed Focus in Today’s ‘New Normal’ on Addressing Malnutrition in Older Adults

It’s no secret that we all age, but with the birth rate on the decline and longevity increasing around the world, the global population is aging at a rapid rate. By 2050, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 65 years or older, and the number of people over 80 is projected to triple in the next 30 years.[1]

Pediatric Malnutrition: Global Impact and Approaches

Kids need nutritious foods for healthy growth and development, especially during the early, formative years of their lives. When kids don’t have access to healthy foods, it can lead to serious health issues like malnutrition, which can have lifelong consequences from poor health outcomes to economic instability. Good nutrition plays an important role in preventing and treating malnutrition in kids.

What Is Malnutrition?

What is malnutrition? A common misconception is that it simply means a person isn't getting enough calories. But malnutrition can be more than a deficiency in nutrient intake: It can also refer to nutrient excesses or vitamin or mineral imbalances.

Nutrition Intervention Equals Better Outcomes

By Suela Sulo, PhD, MS, a health outcomes researcher who leads the Health Economics, Outcomes Research, and Policy Work for Abbott’s global nutrition research and development. Originally published in Physicians Practice.

Eliminating Pediatric Malnutrition: A Call for Universal Screening

By: Karyn Wulf, MD, MPH, Pediatric Medical Director at Abbott Appropriate growth during childhood lays the foundation for a lifetime of health. While important, growth alone does not always tell the full story of a child’s health. A child may not be getting all the nutrients they need, and occasional growth screenings may not catch nutrient deficiencies until a child is malnourished. The consequences of nutrient deficiencies can include not only poor growth, but also impaired physical or cognitive development. Identifying children at risk is crucial so that dietary or nutritional interventions can be started long before growth or development issues occur.

Improving Childhood Nutrition with a Multidisciplinary Approach

By: Karyn Wulf MD, MPH, Pediatric Medical Director at Abbott. When it comes to assessing childhood nutrition, it can be more complex than simply making sure your kid eats his or her vegetables. Key outcomes of good childhood nutrition aren’t just linear growth or weight gain, but also includes organ and brain development. Nutritional limitation in any of those areas may cause long-term problems with optimal growth and development. That’s why primary care physicians should consider a team approach when treating kids who are falling behind on growth. 

Simple Device Helps Address Childhood Malnutrition Challenges Globally

Strong partnerships are key for building health equity to effectively address health disparities, expand access to resources and remove barriers that prevent people from living healthy lives. And, tackling the global issue of childhood malnutrition, which affects more than 1 in 5 children around the world, is no simple task. 

The Fight Against Malnutrition: Bringing the Value of Nutrition to Healthcare

By: Suela Sulo, PhD, MS, a health outcomes researcher who leads the Health Economics, Outcomes Research, and Policy Work for Abbott’s global nutrition research and development. 

Ultra Rice: Feeding Families for the Future

Nutrition supports good health at every stage of life, but it's especially important for kids. Childhood is a crucial time for development of the brain and body, both of which rely on essential vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin A and essential B vitamins. A balanced diet is the best way to get all the nutrients you need, but that's not always possible for everyone. Leading international nonprofit, PATH, created Ultra Rice® as part of a solution to that problem. Abbott strives to improve lives all over the world through the development of high-quality nutrition products that protect families by helping to supply the essential nutrients that keep people healthy. By partnering with PATH, Abbott scientists were able to continue this important mission. Searching for a Solution Malnutrition in India affects millions of people every day. As nutrition experts, PATH and Abbott scientists saw an opportunity to collaborate to create a better Ultra Rice: a cost-effective, scalable and sustainable system for delivering essential nutrients in a form that people would want to eat. PATH's Ultra Rice technology provided the opportunity to improve on an already fortified grain that would work for the community. Rice is a staple food for about 65 percent of India’s population — with so many people already growing, cooking and eating the grain, it was a viable option for providing a source of better nutrition.