Distribute Food Find worksheet. This activity is designed to encourage students to think about the major food groups. Children who are hungry often experience headaches, fatigue, frequent colds, and other illnesses that may cause them to be less physically active. Undernourished pregnant women tend to have low birth weight babies. Low birth weight babies suffer from more physical illness, as well as impaired growth and development.
Undernourished infants are at greater risk of dying within their first year of life.
Chronic hunger in adults weakens bones and muscles, increases the risk of illness, worsens health problems, and contributes to depression and lack of energy. Poor maternal and infant nutrition affects an infant's birth weight, cognitive development, immune system and overall health. Children and pregnant women have relatively high nutrient needs for growth and development. Therefore, they are often the first to show signs of nutrient deficiencies. Many hungry children have difficulty concentrating, therefore their reading ability and verbal and motor skills suffer.