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Processed Foods Are Causing Malnourishment in Kids Around the World
In its newest report, UNICEF commits to addressing problems that arise from children subsisting on junk food
It’s no secret that there’s an ongoing global shift in how much the world’s population eats, one that began in the U.S. but is spreading around the world. For the first time since UNICEF was founded in 1946, the organization is focusing on how to address problems that have arisen because of it.
In its new biennial report released today titled, “State of the World’s Children 2019,” UNICEF has set a goal to facilitate diets for kids that are “nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable,” a phrase akin to those used by food justice advocates.
This is a big deal: UNICEF is acknowledging that much of the food supply is high-calorie processed garbage that leads to diet-related diseases, which are now the leading driver of chronic disease, a category that has replaced infectious diseases as the biggest killer of humans.
That UNICEF is thinking this way — that it’s sounding like a local food council or a representative from a progressive city like Oakland or Washington — is a sea change. It is notable not so much for its radical position as its…
