| MALNUTRITION IS COMMON AMONG CANCER PATIENTS |
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| Chemo may induce nausea that leads to malnutrition |
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| Cancer may change metabolism to induce malnutrition |
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WHAT'S AHEAD?
> At least 20% of Americans are clinically malnourished, with 70% being sub-clinically malnourished (less obvious), and the remaining "chosen few" 10% in good to optimal health.
> Once these malnourished people get sick, the malnutrition oftentimes gets worse through higher nutrient needs and lower intake
> Once at the hospital, malnutrition escalates another notch, with 40% or more of cancer patients actually dying from malnutrition
> Cancer is one of the more serious wasting diseases known
> A malnourished cancer patient suffers a reduction in quality and quantity of life, with higher incidences of complications and death
> The only solution for malnutrition is optimal nutrition
Howard Hughes, the multi-billionaire, died of malnutrition. It is hard to believe that there can be malnutrition in this agriculturally abundant nation of ours--but there is. At the time of the Revolutionary War, 96% of Americans farmed while only 4% worked at other trades. Tractors and harvesting combines became part of an agricultural revolution that allowed the 2% of Americans who now farm to feed the rest of us. We grow enough food in this country to feed ourselves, to make half of us overweight, to throw away enough food to feed 50 million people daily, to ship food overseas as a major export, and to store enough food in government surplus bins to feed Americans for a year if all farmers quit today. With so much food available, how can Americans be malnourished?
The answer is: poor food choices. Americans choose their food based upon taste, cost, convenience, and psychological gratification--thus ignoring the main reason that we eat, which is to provide our body cells with the raw materials to grow, repair, and fuel our bodies. The most commonly eaten foods in America are white bread, coffee, and hot dogs. Based upon our food abundance, Americans could be the best nourished nation on record. But we are far from it.
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