Nutrition and food security in the southern region of Ecuador

The economic and exclusion conditions of more than half of the population limit access to food consumption in sufficient quantity and quality to guarantee an optimal physical and psychic development; Cultural characteristics referring to consumption preferences and forms of food preparation privilege the use of low protein contribution. The quality of food is inadequate for human consumption due to the presence in them of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other toxic used to improve productivity. The content of nutrients of protein origin is low in the diets of the various social strata, there are no consumption patterns that contribute, according to the needs related to age, sex and groups at risk, food in diets. The influence of globalization has modified, in children and young people, the desires and induced the consumption of foods that do not provide basic nutrients that supply the greatest needs of these periods of life. Malnutrition is a health problem that seriously affects the possibilities of growth and development, limits the maturation of nervous system structures, alters defensive capacity and decreases the future possibilities of learning and development of intellectual and social skills. The elderly, pregnant women and children may have deficiency disorders due to lack of care and sufficient contribution. Malnutrition can be detected in time through growth and development surveillance programs in children and adolescents and in groups at risk. Excess diseases are linked to modern lifestyles, cardiovascular diseases and others can be prevented in time with the change in consumption preferences, the type and quantity of food consumed. Determining the quality and food safety, analyzing nutrition in relation to the lifestyles of the population, determining the nutritious components of the main foods and studying the clinical and epidemiological aspects related to the deficiencies and excesses of nutrition are the main objective and initials. The methods to be used are descriptive in the case of the analysis of socioeconomic, analytical diagnoses in the relationship between malnutrition and growth and development disorders, qualitative in consumption preferences and forms of food preparation, experienced in the determination of nutrients and the measurement of pollution.