Hans Konrad Biesalski Book order

Hidden hunger has long been an overlooked problem. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have to be remedied and the availability of calories needs to be increased. As a matter of fact, the number of people who do not have access to a balanced diet has multiplied in rich and poor countries, with lasting consequences for health and well-being. Hidden hunger not only affects childhood growth and cognitive development, but also reduces productivity and well-being later in life, thus keeping the affected population trapped in a circle of poverty and malnutrition. This book illustrates the global fight against hunger by national governments and international organizations. Presented at the Third Hidden Hunger Conference held at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, it presents a range of strategies being implemented in various regions of the world to improve nutrition quality and combat this international crisis.

This book is the first of its kind to tackle in detail the nutritional requirements of the industrialized, so-called developed world. It discusses the link between socio-economic status and food security, focusing especially on the relationship between income and food security in different age groups. The authors calculate the actual levels of essential micronutrients delivered by current dietary patterns, identifying important shortfalls in the provision of key micronutrients, and elucidate the public health consequences of nutrition insecurity. Finally, the authors discuss future approaches for ensuring nutrition security on the basis of three pillars: access, availability and nutritional value. The approaches advocated in this ground-breaking publication will allow all people, irrespective of age and social status, to have access to a safe and nutritious diet. Key stakeholders such as legislators, government, academia and industry, as well as consumers themselves, all have important roles to play in making this a reality.

Malnutrition caused by deficiencies of vitamins and minerals - also called hidden hunger - impairs both the intellectual and physical development of a child. Due to the absence of clinical symptoms and assessments, no intervention can be staged. The tragedy is that this, in turn, decreases the child’s chance to escape from poverty. This book looks at malnutrition in high-income countries, the nutrition transition and nutritional deficiencies in low-income countries, consequences of hidden hunger, and interventions to improve nutrition security. Written by leading experts in the field, it clearly stresses that national governments and international organizations must make malnutrition one of their top priorities in order to provide children with optimal conditions for a healthy future.

Hidden Hunger is an increasing problem even in developed countries, whose potential negative consequences on long-term health are often overlooked and underestimated. Chronic malnutrition is at the core of the global hunger challenge facing science, politics, and economics. In plain language and with moving examples, Hans K. Biesalski describes how hidden hunger affects human health long before malnutrition becomes obvious. Worldwide, over one third of deaths among children under 5 years of age is associated with malnutrition. As poverty is the main reason for hidden hunger, addressing this dire challenge requires long-term policies. Land grabbing and climate change seriously counteract a lot of efforts to overcome hidden hunger. This book is a highly impressive call to action. Investment in agriculture and in particular in small-scale farmers to improve subsistence farming are among the approaches suggested to reach a sustainable solution. The author is head of the department of biochemistry and nutrition and managing director of the Food Security Center at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He is a member of numerous advisory and expert groups for the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition.