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Ency. home > Disease > M > Malnutrition

Malnutrition   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Nutrition - inadequate

Definition:

A condition caused by inadequate intake or inadequate digestion of nutrients. It may result from eating an inadequate or unbalanced diet, digestive problems, absorption problems, or other medical conditions.

Causes and Risks

Malnutrition is a general term that indicates a lack of some or all nutritional elements.

This can occur because of deficiencies in the diet. Single vitamin deficiencies are a form of malnutrition just as starvation is a form of malnutrition. Malnutrition can also occur when nutrients are adequately consumed in the diet, but one or more nutrients are not digested or absorbed properly.

Malnutrition may be mild enough to show no symptoms or so severe that the damage it has done is irreversible even though the individual may be kept alive.

Worldwide, malnutrition continues to be a significant problem, especially among children who cannot fend adequately for themselves. Poverty, natural disasters, political problems and war in countries such as Biafra, Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, and many others have demonstrated that hunger and malnutrition are not strangers to this world.

Related topics:

Minerals, trace elements and other dietary factors are covered under the term "diet and XXXX" where XXXX is the name of dietary factor. An example would be diet and iodine.

Ency. home > Disease > M > Malnutrition

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