ON FOOD fORTI - DOH Central Library - Department of Health

. The phrase "hidden hunger" has
become a buzzword in the nutrition
community. It refers to deficiencies in
essentialnutrientsnamelyvitaminA,iron
and iodine. The hunger is "hidden"
because symptoms of these deficiencies
are not readily visible until it is too late.
The consequences of deficiencies of these
nutrients are not immediate, but they are
extremely damaging to both the
individual and the nation as manifested
by reduced mental performanceandwork
productivity;physicaldisabilities; mental
retardation; and death; apart from the
untold suffering of affected families.
A Report on Food Fortification --,.....;,.-'-__7
HIDDEN HUNGER
- in the Philippines
Ms. ELSA M. BAYANI
Executive Director, National Nutrition Council
THE MAGNITUDE OF HIDDEN
HUNGER Ms. Elsa M. Bayani, "Iron deficiency anemia affects
28.9% of the population or about 19 million Filipinos".
Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD)
Vitamin A is essential for healthy
eyes, resistance to infection and illnesses,
and growth and development. It can
be found in plant and animal foods. In
plants, vitaminA ispresentas provitamin
A or beta-carotene. Thus, oil or fats are
needed to enhance the conversion and
absorption of vitamin A to a form which
can be used effectively by the body.
Vitamin A deficiency is determined
by notingchangesin the eyes, whichstarts
with the symptoms of nightblindness,
developing into more specific signs of
Bitot's spots and when the deficiency is
mostsevere, permanentblindness occurs.
The latest (1993) national nutritionsurvey,
shows that 0.1 percent of children, 6 mos
- 19 years of age, pregnant and lactating
women have corneal scars due to VAD.
While these figures seem to be low,
specific surveys done by the Department