For years, the people of the Philippines have been in grave danger of a horrible condition. They suffer from malnutrition, an unhealthy imbalance in an individual's diet that can result from a lack of certain nutrients consumed or from starvation (Advice). Malnutrition has been a problem for many years due to the country's very high poverty rates (around 27.9% of the population) which deprive the population of food, and violent typhoons (such as Superstorm Haiyan) have only exacerbated the problem ( Calderon). Furthermore, when the country's population has access to food, they rarely have the fruits and vegetables needed for a balanced diet. Due to poverty, lack of agricultural products and regular typhoons, malnutrition in the Philippines causes widespread health risks ranging from blindness to death, especially among children. Many factors play a key role in the country's malnutrition, but none has been more significant than poverty. . As a matter of fact, the Philippine government refers to poverty as “…the main driver of such a cruel scenario” (Delfin). The reasoning behind this is simply the effects of poverty itself. Many people don't earn enough money to buy a decent meal for their family or even themselves, and even when they have enough to pay for a meal they often eat only once a day. Some families are so poor that they actually need help from their children to feed the family. This is the case of the Malano family, whose two boys spend lunch time at school looking for seaweed to sell at the market (Delfin). The Philippines' crushing poverty has been a crucial factor in the malnutrition problem because it has led to its population being too poor to purchase...... middle of paper ......and Control and Prevention, 23 February 2011. Network. March 31, 2014. "Killer typhoon." PBS. PBS, January 22, 2014. Web. April 1, 2014. “Membership Report.” ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee 41st session. January 19-25, 2009. Web. March 22, 2014."Months after Typhoon Bopha, children in the Philippines are at risk of malnutrition." Health and Medical Week, 12 April 2013: 1220. Global issues in context. Network. April 1, 2014. “Country Nutrition Profiles: Philippines Summary.” Nutrition Profiles of Countries: Philippines Summary. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Network. 01 April 2014."A solution to malnutrition." Manila Bulletin 12 February 2011. Global issues in context. Network. April 1, 2014. "Vitamin A." — Information sheet for healthcare professionals. US Department of Health and Human Services. Network. March 31, 2014. Zelman, Kathleen M. “Top 10 Iron-Rich Foods: Iron-Rich Foods.” WebMD. WebMD, Web. 01 April. 2014.