Children less than five years of age are at a risk of growth failure worldwide. The South African National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) of 1999 showed that 25.5% of children aged 1 - 3 years were stunted. Poor growth of young children in developing countries (South Africa included) has been associated with multiple micronutrient deficiencies because of the use of starchy plant-based complementary foods with little variety, especially among resource poor households. Dietary diversification through the use of crop and livestock production has been recommended as a strategy to improve the micronutrient intake and food security of households in resource poor settings. This study was a cross sectional secondary analysis of the South African NFCS of 1999 data, designed to investigate the impact of crop and livestock production on nutrient intake, dietary diversity, intake of selected food groups, hunger perceptions and anthropometric status of children aged 1 - 3 years in South Africa. Children from households producing crops only (n=211), crops and livestock (n=110), livestock only (n=93) and non-producers were compared at the national, in rural areas and among households with a total income of less than R12 000.00 per household per year. In rural areas and among households with a total income of less than R12 000.00 per household per year, children in the crops and livestock group had higher nutrient intakes for energy, vitamin 86, calcium and folate than the other groups (p<0.05), while the crops only group had higher nutrient intakes for vitamin A and vitamin C. The majority of children in all the four study groups had less than 67% of the RDAs for vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron and zinc. In addition , children in all the groups had a median dietary diversity score of four out of 13 food groups. In rural areas and among low income households, higher percentages (over 60%) of children in the crops only group consumed vegetables while the non-producers group was the lowest (47.7%). The non-producers group had the highest percentages of children consuming meat and meat products and the crops and livestock and livestock only groups had the lowest percentages. In both rural areas and among households withlow income, the majority of the households in all the study groups were experiencing hunger. In rural areas, one in five households were food secure. Crop and livestock production improved the nutrient intake and the intake of vegetables of children in rural and poor households. However, nutrient intakes were not adequate to meet the recommended nutrient levels. The high levels of food insecurity require support of these households to increase crop and livestock production and, integration of nutrition education to increase the consumption of the produced products. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This study explores the possible efficacy of a low carbohydrate and high fat nutritional intervention (LCHF) as a treatment possibility aiming to improve the ability of self-control and regulation in the context of carbohydrate-addiction. The study first outlines why increased simple carbohydrate consumption has been implicated as a risk-factor in numerous chronic conditions, and then explores the possibility that a reduction of such consumption could lower general medical expenditure in the healthcare sector of already overburdened institutions, especially in developing countries like South Africa. Since the neurobiological evidence for food addiction is compelling, this study investigates the impact of a low carbohydrate and high fat eating (LCHF) regimen by measuring the change in the severity of addictive behaviour in relation to a reduced carbohydrate consumption. Results indicate that a LCHF nutritional intervention lessened addictive behaviour after just 30 days, resulting in a statistically significant decrease in addiction symptoms from day 1 to day 30. The weight and BMI values of the participants recorded at the end of the study showed a reduction from those obtained during the pre- treatment stage, and the self-perceived ‘feeling in control’ also improved in all participants after the intervention. The introduction of a LCHF nutritional intervention presents a relatively cost-effective treatment and preventative measure to combat carbohydrate over-consumption and its numerous health complications, and it is therefore hoped that the positive findings of this study will foster further research, using larger samples, into this type of nutritional intervention against addictive eating behaviour. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)