Within poor communities the most common foodsource is one that is extremely high in carbohydrates, but lacking in protein, vitamins and minerals. This lack of variety results in serious diseases including scurvy, rickets, marasmus and kwashiorkor. Part of the problem is lack of knowledge of the human body. One of the first steps in education of parents in nutrition is to enable them to diagnose the nutritional status of their own children. The most common way of doing this is to weigh children between the ages of one month and six years and compare this weight with normal weights of children world-wide.
Parents can then see for themselves how their children compare.
Education includes classes in malnutrition, nutrition, meal planning, family budgeting and food preservation. The children's progress is measured on a monthly basis. A system called Trainer of Trainers is used to reach as many as possible. Some parents are asked to volunteer their time and talents to learn and then teach others. They go out in the community and form small groups who can meet at convenient times.