Nutritional deficiencies in a First Nations population Research Paper

Nutritional deficiencies in a First Nations population - Research Paper Example Nourishment of the body would require ingestion of the six general categories of nutrients – protein, carbohydrates, fat, fibers, vitamins and minerals, and water – that would help the body fight off diseases and promote the overall health of the being. Majority of the inhabitants in Third World Countries live below the poverty line, and this reflects their level of health and nutritional intake. Many people in these countries survive by taking only one meal a day. Water is a vital element in maintaining a person’s health. People living in dry and arid lands have limited access to water. They have to dig deep into the desert lands to have water to drink. And most likely, the water taken is not safe for drinking. According to Michael Latham (Program in International Nutrition director, Cornell University), in his lectures at Pullman Washington State University, malnutrition in the Third World Countries cause death and diseases among the people. From protein defici ency alone, 10 million people are dying annually. Millions are also suffering from vitamins and minerals deficiency (Urvina, 1984). Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency are reported to comprise 32 percent of the world disease problem (Nelson, 2006). But nutritional deficiencies exist in the First World Countries or developed countries as well. Developed countries, such as Canada, USA and other European countries, also experience malnutrition among the populace. Malnutrition is these countries can be attributed to several factors. One reason for such imbalanced nutritional intake is eating of junk food, which besides not giving the nutrition needed by an individual, also contains excessive salt and traces of other unhealthy elements. Malnutrition is also attributed to the lack of access of individuals to nutritious food, or lack of means to purchase them. One of the causes of malnutrition is limited financial resource that leads to prioritizing less buying of nutritious food (Ab erg, 2006). According to Pett (1950), no foolproof system has been devised in determining malnutrition because of the variation in individuals, in that even healthy individuals have different urine and blood biochemical results. He said that malnutrition could occur in the following stages that overlap each other: a) inadequate consumption of food or particular nutrients, or interference in utilization and absorption of nutrients that results to malnutrition, b) a decrease in â€Å"bodily reserves† that may only be detected through biochemical tests, c) impairment in functioning although the tissues show no changes, and d) changes in the structure of tissues (common clinical evaluation used). Structural changes must be confirmed with dietary background and laboratory tests, otherwise, the clinical evaluation could result to error (Pett, 1950). In the many studies conducted in Canada, subjects who follow good dietary regimen even show signs of malnutrition (Pett, 1950). This c an be clearly seen in the First Nations of Canada. First Nations is the terminology used to refer to the aboriginal groups, the Inuit and Metis (Terminology of First Nations, n.d.). The term replaced the use of â€Å"Indian† in the 1970s, as well as â€Å"Band† when referring to original peoples in Canada (Government of Saskatchewan, 2009, para. 17). The government has the primary obligation to improve the health and nutritional intake of the First Nations in Canada. It is actively engaged in the