Malnutrition in the News…
Malnutrition Awareness Week was September 19-23 this year. It was formally recognized by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and represents an opportunity for policy makers and clinicians alike to address malnutrition in our state.
NMAND membership represents a collection of dietetic professionals dedicated to addressing malnutrition. That includes wielding our public policy arm to advocate for the people of New Mexico.
From AND's Public Policy Weekly newsletter
Rebecca Lamoreaux, your NMAND Public Policy Coordinator, wrote to New Mexican media outlets about malnutrition in honor of Malnutrition Awareness Week. Op-Eds were published in Taos News and the Sierra County Sentinel.
Included here are a couple snippet’s of Rebecca’s words, and you can click the links above to read the full articles.
Malnutrition is an under-recognized health problem that results in both immediate and long-term consequences. Malnutrition is defined as a nutrition imbalance that can occur in both underweight and overweight individuals.
Malnutrition is often overlooked, specifically in individuals who are classified as normal weight, overweight or obese. Food insecurity and access to nutritious foods amplify the risk of malnutrition.
Malnutrition costs the state of New Mexico an additional $92.5 million per year due to malnutrition-associated consequences.
In 2019, a study by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition concluded that one in three hospitalized patients are at risk for malnutrition, which leads to an increased risk of adverse health complications. Malnutrition may also lead to the development of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease. Approximately one in three New Mexico adults 45 years old and older have been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases.
Read the full Op-Ed either in Taos News or the Sierra County Sentinel.
Malnutrition Awareness Week may have ended, but the root causes and consequences of this preventable condition remain.
NMAND members are part of the solution. We are a collection of nutrition professionals working all over New Mexico. We have the opportunity to discuss screening and intervention processes in a variety of settings, and with other stakeholders including physicians and administrators. NMAND continues to amplify our members voices in legislative efforts, and through collaborations with other organizations fighting Hunger and Malnutrition.
