WHAT HUNGER DOES TO YOU.

While everybody has experienced the discomfort of mild hunger at some point, most people living in Canada don’t know the full extent of negative effects that hunger can have on the human body. Along with the negative physical effects, hunger can also lead to serious mental problems. It’s why we take alleviating hunger in Ottawa so seriously.

Hunger can cause:

• Difficulty learning, anxiety, psychiatric issues, cognitive impairment
• Visual disturbances
• Bleeding gums/decaying teeth
• Decrease in heart rate and oxygen levels
• Malnutrition/deficiency disorders- intestinal tract, kidneys and liver
• Dry flaky skin
• Aching joints/weakened muscles
• Stunted growth and fragile bones that easily break

What hunger does to kids

Kids who are chronically malnourished don’t grow as tall as they should (a condition referred to as stunted growth) and are underweight as well. (People also can become underweight because they have an illness, and some are underweight because of their genes.)

The signs and symptoms of malnutrition depend on which nutritional deficiencies a person has, although they can include:

• fatigue and low energy
• dizziness
• poor immune function (which can cause the body to have   trouble fighting off infections)
• dry, scaly skin
• swollen and bleeding gums
• decayed teeth
• slowed reaction times and trouble paying attention
• underweight
• growth
• muscle weakness
• bones that break easily
• problems with organ function
• problems learning