Conversations Series: Let's talk about… The Frontlines of the Battle Against Malnutrition

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will host its quarterly “Conversations” Series, this time focusing on the battle of malnutrition around the world, on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 from 5:15 – 7:00 p.m. at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road.  The event is sponsored by Boeing.  The program will feature Dr. Mark Manary, Director, Global Harvest Alliance; Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine and Hannah Hightower, Student, Visitation Academy, Class of 2012 who will discuss their personal experiences on the front lines in sub-Saharan Africa.

Thanks to modern agricultural practices, much of the world no longer has to worry about where they will find their next meal. Basic life necessities – including adequate calories, vitamins and minerals – are readily available to nearly all those fortunate enough to live in developed countries. With grocery store shelves overflowing with affordable food, do most of us know the pangs of true hunger?

Yet even today, approximately one person in six is undernourished around the world. Children in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition – and those who manage to survive are often irreversibly physically and mentally stunted. 

With nearly one billion people going to bed hungry every night, there is a dramatic disconnect between our society of plenty and the stark reality of life in places like sub-Saharan Africa. What does true malnutrition look like up-close? How does it affect the brain and body? What can be done to not only stop and reverse malnutrition in children, but to prevent it in the first place?

Join us for our next Conversations event, where Moderator James W. Davis, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Washington University, will host a discussion featuring two people who have been on the frontlines of the hunger epidemic.

To join us for an enlightening discussion, reserve your spot today!  Reservations are required but complimentary; seating is limited and priority will be given to Center Friends.  To attend, please phone: 314-587-1070 or email: conversations@danforthcenter.org or reserve online.