UNDERSTANDING HUNGER
Brain
A healthy brain uses 20 percent of your body’s energy. That energy comes from . . . you guessed it. Food.
Hunger starves the brain. Malnourished kids fall behind in school — or drop out — because they can’t concentrate (or because their families need them to help put food on the table).
Heart
A healthy heart pumps a steady supply of blood throughout the body.
An undernourished heart shrinks. Literally. So it has to work harder to pump blood — which your body can’t make enough of.
Vital Organs
The liver and kidneys filter out toxins and waste, while your immune system fends off disease — often without you even knowing.
Dangerous toxins build up as the liver and kidneys fail. And a weakened immune system crumbles in the face of killer diseases.
Skin & Bones
Healthy skin is like armor, shielding the body from infection. Healthy bones get bigger and stronger as a child grows.
Skin cracks, becoming a gateway for infection. Bones stop growing — which is why hungry kids are so often small for their age, also known as stunting.
