Question

Children overseas often go hungry for long periods of time. In what ways can this affect social, cognitive and physical development?

Answer 1

Hunger affects social development in children in the following ways:

1) Hunger and low food security leads to toxic stress in children which causes relationship issues.

2) Availing social services that give free or reduced food to children, makes them feel stigmatized.

3) Severe hunger is related to anxiety and depression among children.

4) It might lead to anti-social activities such as theft, robbery, etc.

Hunger affects cognitive development in children in the following ways:

1) The cognitive bandwidth stays limited to meeting hunger needs and fails to extend to other needs such as learning and schoolwork.

2) Hunger also negatively affects brain development, learning, information processing and academic achievement in children.

Hunger affects physical development in children in the following ways:

1) Hunger and deficiency of nutrition in food leads to malnutrition in children which is a huge issue for their growth and development.

2) Food insufficiency is linked to higher rates of poor health conditions such as stomach aches, head aches and cold and flu.

3) Hunger can also predict chronic illness in children.