Malnutrition: Paying it forward

Hunger, or the craving for food, is a complex human desire that must be met first and foremost on the physiological level before it impacts the whole organism and triggers a whole new set of mental and emotional responses to satisfy that need.

A family of four, the ideal mother-and-father-plus-two-children configuration, may live fairly decently with at least three square meals a day, and then some, on a monthly income of, say P100,000. For most Filipinos, however, the reality is far from that ideal. It is a known fact that the average Filipino family is made up of two parents and four or five children. In many cases, the extended household can reach up to eight or 12 people.