What is malnutrition? What are its harmful effects?
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Answer:
Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person's intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions.slower immune response which increases the risk of getting infections, and increases the length of time that it takes to recover from infection, difficulty staying warm as a result of having less muscle and tissue mass, increasing the risk of hypothermia (the inability to maintain normal body temperature).
Malnutrition is a condition that results from nutrient deficiency or overconsumption.
Types of malnutrition include (1, 2Trusted Source):
Undernutrition: This type of malnutrition results from not getting enough protein, calories or micronutrients. It leads to low weight-for-height (wasting), height-for-age (stunting) and weight-for-age (underweight).
Overnutrition: Overconsumption of certain nutrients, such as protein, calories or fat, can also lead to malnutrition. This usually results in overweight or obesity.
People who are undernourished often have deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, especially iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine (3Trusted Source).
However, micronutrient deficiencies can also occur with overnutrition.
It’s possible to be overweight or obese from excessive calorie consumption but not get enough vitamins and minerals at the same time.
That’s because foods that contribute to overnutrition, such as fried and sugary foods, tend to be high in calories and fat but low in other nutrients (4).