We all know what hunger is. We recognize that feeling in our stomachs. And when we feel it, we don’t usually have too much of a problem putting an end to it.

But for more than 850 million people, the hunger never ends.

Starvation

Try to imagine what it would be like if you were hungry and no food was available. None. Your body starts to feed on its own fat and body tissues. If you don’t eat for a long time, you may lose about 50 percent of your body weight. Your skin becomes thin, stiff, pale, and cold. Your hair becomes dry and sparse and falls out easily. After about 8 to 12 weeks without food, you starve to death.

Starvation caused by famine is the most serious form of hunger.

FAO works to make sure famines never happen. It constantly keeps an eye on the food situation in countries all over the world. When a crisis appears on the horizon, it sounds an alarm. Want to find out more? Why don’t you meet Aziz Arya.

Many people have seen images of famine: children with swollen bellies and skinny arms and legs. These terrible pictures and news stories often grab headlines, but they give a very narrow picture of what hunger is.

Undernourishment and food insecurity

Most of the world’s hungry are not on the point of starvation. Their suffering doesn’t make the news.

People who are chronically hungry are undernourished. They don’t eat enough to get the energy they need to lead active lives. Their undernourishment makes it hard to study, work or even play. Undernourished children do not grow as quickly as healthy children. Mentally, they may develop more slowly. Constant hunger weakens the immune system and makes them more vulnerable to diseases and infections.

Mothers living with constant hunger often give birth to underweight and weak babies. And this has fatal consequences. The World Health Organization estimates that well over 3 million deaths every year can be attributed to children being born underweight.

Every day, millions of people around the world eat only the bare minimum of food to keep themselves alive. Every night, they go to bed not certain whether there will be food enough to eat tomorrow. This uncertainty about where the next meal will come from is called ‘food insecurity’. FAO defines food insecurity as:

“A situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life.”

The hidden hunger

There is another kind of hunger you should know about. Millions of people survive on a very limited diet. They eat almost the same thing every day. Because of this, they don’t get the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy.

This micronutrient malnutrition is often called the "hidden hunger". It affects over 2 billion people and it has serious consequences.

For example, between 100 and 140 million children suffer from vitamin A deficiency. As a result, more than 2 million children each year suffer severe problems with their eyesight. An estimated 250 000 to 500 000 are permanently blinded.

Iodine deficiency is another terrible problem. Each year, 100 000 babies are born with irreversible brain damage because their mothers’ diets lacked iodine before and during pregnancy.

Overall, chronic undernourishment and a diet that lacks essential vitamins and minerals kill more than 5 million children every year.

Remember, these people don’t live on another planet. These are your neighbours. We need to look after one another.

Why don’t you get involved?