Nigeria has been ranked 103 out of 121 countries in the 2022 Global Hunger Index, a position that signifies the nation has a level of hunger that is serious. In this article, we are not talking about how to cope with severe hunger. The solution to severe hunger is immediate action, find food and medical attention immediately. What we want to talk about is minimal hunger which you have to deal with for a few hours. We will suggest a few ways you can cope. But before that, let us touch on how hunger affects adults, children and the society in general.
The Effects of Hunger
There’s no single effect or set of effects of hunger in adults — in some cases, when an adult becomes malnourished (such as when they are pregnant or breastfeeding), it can have even an bigger impact on their children. Hunger also affects adult immune systems, making people more susceptible to disease. This is one of the reasons that famines become so deadly.
When a mother is undernourished during pregnancy, their own nutritional health isn’t the only health at stake. Complications brought on by low nutrition during pregnancy include anemia, hypertension, miscarriages, premature delivery, and maternal death. Hunger can cause malnutrition in children, if a child doesn’t take in enough micro nutrients, their intellectual and physical development can be harmed. This can cause lifelong disability, developmental delays and mental disorders.
Hunger can cause far more problems in the society than we imagine. For one, hunger can cause a person to steal for food. It can cause violence. It can break up families. It is a key cause of forced migration, influencing a family’s decision on when and where to move. In some cases, one or two family members will leave in order to make money to send home, creating a knock-on effect of challenges for those they leave behind.
How to Cope
The best solution to hunger is to prevent it. Do not get hungry in the first place. But that can only happen in a perfect world. Today, a person will find himself in a situation where they have to cope with hunger. What can you do?
1. Keep yourself Hydrated
Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. If you don’t drink enough water, you may become dehydrated. This means your body doesn’t have enough fluid to operate properly. To help give the body some energy, water is important, so the body sees what to feed off. Drinking water will not make hunger disappear. However, it can help suppress hunger, at least for a while. Lack of food means lack of energy, the body becomes weak. Scientists believe that water may stretch the stomach and send signals of fullness to the brain. Watery fruits like melons and pineapple, and high fiber fruits like berries, can also help fill you up.
2. Distract Yourself
Although you feel discomfort in your stomach when you’re hungry, the signals of hunger come from the brain. You can try to engage in an activity that will take your mind off the craving for food. You could do something you love; read a book, watch a movie, or talk to a friend over the phone. Are there a few podcasts your friends have recommended that you haven’t had the time to listen to yet? Take advantage of the time you have and put one of those on! Your mind will drift as it listens and you’ll immediately stop thinking about food.
3. Avoid Skipping Meals
Whenever you have the opportunity to eat do not skip it. Especially if you are not well off. You don’t know where your next meal will come from. If you leave your house without eating anything on a regular basis, it means that you are eating less than you are supposed to. This in turn causes an overall decrease in your nutrient intake making you prone to various nutritional deficiencies, especially Vitamin B complex deficiency. If you occasionally skip meals, then drinking water might help you neutralize stomach acids.
4. Don’t be too shy to ask for Help
The world is an unfair place. We rise by lifting others. If you are hungry, never be too shy to ask a friend or neighbor. Especially one you are close to. Starvation can cause bigger problems that the hurt to your ego. Hunger can kill you. Do not joke with it. Be humble. If you find work to do, be diligent at it. Do not play with what brings food to the table.
