Tag: Us health

Though often considered a disease of the past, recent studies have shown a troubling rise in pediatric scurvy cases in the US, tripling between 2016 and 2020. While severe vitamin C deficiency is uncommon, it is important to understand who is at risk for scurvy and the modern factors contributing to this disease.

According to the National Institutes of Health, many Americans across various age groups do not meet the recommended daily intake for calcium, with rates of inadequacy higher among certain populations. This widespread nutritional gap is precisely why calcium intake is a concern in the US, pointing to significant public health challenges related to bone health and beyond.

According to the CDC, anemia affected 9.3% of the U.S. population over age 2 between 2021 and 2023, with iron deficiency being a leading cause. The most common cause of iron deficiency in the US is dependent on factors like age and gender, often stemming from chronic blood loss, particularly in women of childbearing age.

While the general US population maintains adequate iodine intake, recent data reveals concerning trends for vulnerable groups. Studies suggest significant numbers of pregnant women have inadequate levels, highlighting the nuanced answer to what percentage of Americans are deficient in iodine.

Poor nutrition is a leading driver of chronic illness in the United States, contributing to approximately 678,000 deaths each year. This raises a critical question: what is the top nutrition-related cause of death in the US? The answer points directly to cardiovascular disease, heavily influenced by unhealthy eating patterns.

Despite the narrative promoted by supplement companies, severe protein deficiency is rare among the general population in the United States, with most Americans consuming well over the recommended daily intake. However, this does not mean protein deficiency is nonexistent; rather, it is concentrated within specific, vulnerable populations.

Despite being a nation with a plentiful food supply, a 2023 USDA report revealed that 13.5% of US households experienced food insecurity, a key driver of malnutrition. Answering the question, 'Is malnutrition common in the US?' requires looking beyond the traditional image of starvation to encompass the dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition that affects millions.

After the U.S. began fortifying grain products in 1998, the prevalence of low serum folate concentrations among the population dropped dramatically from 16% to 0.5%. So, is folate underconsumed in the United States, or has this public health measure successfully eliminated widespread deficiency?

Following the 1998 mandatory fortification of enriched grain products, the prevalence of folate deficiency in the United States dramatically decreased to less than 1% among the general population. However, despite this public health success, the question of how common is folate deficiency in the US remains relevant for specific at-risk groups and for those with underlying health conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, 2.5 billion adults globally were overweight, highlighting a worldwide shift in malnutrition dynamics. While undernutrition still affects vulnerable populations, overnutrition—and the paradoxical micronutrient deficiencies that can accompany it—is the more common form of malnourishment in the United States.