A Community We Support: Alcocer
Background
The Feed the Hungry kitchen in the Alcocer community opened in 2002. During school year 2023-2024, healthy hot meals are being served to 62 students at the Melchor Ocampo preschool (kindergarten) every school day.
Location Statistics
At the time of the latest INEGI census report (2020) the population of Alcocer was 1,094 men, women, and children in 292 homes; 29% were children under the age of 14. Only 56% of the population over age 12 had a source of income, and 9% of adults were illiterate. The average level of schooling was less than seven years.
Nutrition Report – School Year 2022-2023
Feed the Hungry staff nutritionists assessed 56 students through height, weight, and body fat measurements.
When taking the measurements, 15% of children were found to be underweight. When children become underweight in early childhood, they are more likely to develop disease and stunted growth during their next life stages.
Social factors directly affect underweight in children: low economic income preventing adequate nutrition, unhealthy housing conditions and overcrowding, lack of drinking water, and lack of education about the correct diet.
| Condition | Percentage | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Obese | 0% | 0 |
| Overweight | 4% | 2 |
| At risk of overweight | 5% | 3 |
| Normal | 77% | 43 |
| Light underweight | 9% | 5 |
| Moderate | 2% | 1 |
| Severe underweigh | 4% | 2 |
An advanced degree of malnutrition is not necessary for permanent consequences to occur. Some signs that manifest in these cases are pronounced dark undereye circles, dry hair, dry and depigmented skin, listlessness, and fatigue.
Nine percent of the measured population has a weight above the ideal, putting them at risk of developing overweight, while some are already overweight. There are currently no cases of obesity, but it is important to decrease the cases at risk of developing it.
Children diagnosed as overweight usually have an imbalance of calories consumed, that is, consuming too many for their age and spending too few due to physical inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle.
Some signs that were found very frequently were dental caries and hyperkeratosis; these signs are related to an abundant consumption of sugars that will inhibit the absorption of some vitamins such as A, causing the skin to lose its healthy appearance and causing tooth loss.
The health assessment done during the 2021-2022 school year showed that 36% of the children were diagnosed with low weight; in the current cycle (2022-2023) that percentage decreased to 24%. The percentage of children of normal weight increased from 55% to 77%, with the support of the school meals.
Malnutrition among this student population must be addressed jointly by parents, teachers, cooks, and our nutritionists, for the adequate growth and development of the children. We will continue to provide workshops for parents on correct nutrition and physical activity workshops for children.
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