Malnutrition

*MALNUTRITION*

Hi friends… Good morning to you.

The topic we are considering today is quite related to our last discussion. But, I can assure you that it is an entirely different subject.

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and or nutrients. I want you to note carefully that malnutrition consists of two major aspects which are

- Undernutrition
- Overnutrition

When many people hear the word malnutrition, they naturally start thinking of undernutrition, not putting in mind that over nutrition is also malnutrition and can equally create an unpleasant state of health.

Undernutrition occurs when there is a deficiency of one or two more nutrients in the di et of a person for a long time. It is often characterized by stunting, wasting or underweight.

Overnutrition on the other hand occurs when there is excess of one or more nutrients in the diet. That is, the body receives much more nutrients than is needed . It is usually characterized by overweight, obesity and dietrelated non communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer).

Malnutrition affects people in every country. It’s even so amazing how that statistics reveal that more people are dying of too much food than of too little. According to WHO, around 1.9billion adults worldwide are overweight, while just 462million are underweight.

Many families cannot afford or access enough nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, meat and milk, while foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt are cheaper and more readily available, leading to a rapid rise in the number of children and adults who are overweight and obese, in poor as well as rich countries.

It is quite common to find undernutrition and overnutrition in the same community , household or even individual it is possible to be both overweight and micro nutrient deficient, for example.

What is the remedy for Malnutrition?
An understanding of, and the consumption of a balanced diet remains the only remedy to malnutrition. We must learn to eat well and consume food in right proportion.

Thanks for reading!

Article By: Immanuel Rottex
Food, Nutrients & Health