A health condition in which there is an imbalance between the nutrients the body needs to function properly, and it gets is called malnutrition. It usually means undernutrition or overnutrition. Sometimes, you can be malnourished due to a lack of calories, or you may have a protein, vitamin, or mineral deficiency. Moreover, some people may consume excessive calories that the body does not know what to do with.
Normally, the body needs multiple nutrients in specific amounts to function properly. Most people develop malnutrition when the nutrients they get do not meet these needs. Furthermore, even reduced levels of a single vitamin or mineral may cause serious health problems.
Types of Malnutrition
While this condition may mean under- or overnutrition, it may also mean an imbalance of macronutrients (such as proteins, carbohydrates, or fats) or micronutrients (including vitamins and minerals).
Undernutrition
Typically, most people associate malnutrition with undernutrition, which is a deficiency of essential nutrients. It often occurs when you do not get enough nutrients from food due to an inadequate diet or health problems that prevent the body from absorbing these nutrients. In most cases, undernutrition causes visible wasting of fat and muscles, but in some cases, it cannot be noticed with the naked eye. There are some people who are overweight but undernourished.
Macronutrient Undernutrition
This subtype of undernutrition is also known as protein-energy undernutrition. It means you have low levels or even a lack of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These macronutrients are the primary building blocks of your diet and are used by the body to produce energy. People with macronutrient undernutrition may experience multiple health problems and symptoms (such as tiredness).
Micronutrient Undernutrition
These include minerals and vitamins essential for the body to function properly. While the body needs micronutrients in small amounts, it still needs them. In general, there are a lot of people with mild deficiencies in some vitamins and minerals from a poor diet. In most cases, people do not notice micronutrient undernutrition until it becomes more severe and begins to cause serious and lasting effects.
Overnutrition
The WHO (World Health Organization) recently added this term to describe effects caused by excessive consumption of nutrients. For example, overweight and obesity, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), toxicity, and others.
Macronutrient Overnutrition
This subtype of overnutrition occurs when you overeat protein, carbohydrate, or fat. Instead of using them, the body stores them away as fat cells in the adipose tissue. As a result, the body runs out of tissue for storage, and the fat cells themselves have to grow. Large fat cells are often associated with chronic (long-term) inflammation and with a host of metabolic disorders that may follow. Usually, people with macronutrient overnutrition have an increased risk for the following NCDs. For example, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, stroke, and others.
Micronutrient Overnutrition
While most people think they do not have enough vitamins, in some cases, you can overdose on vitamins or mineral supplements. However, more research is needed to explain how this happens and how much of a certain vitamin or mineral you should take. Mostly, this subtype of overnutrition does not occur from diet alone, but there are large amounts of supplements involved.
What Happens to the Body During Malnutrition?
The effects of malnutrition are often different among people because they depend on several factors. These include the type and severity of the condition, overall health, medicines or supplements you administer, age, and others. For instance, if you develop macronutrient undernutrition, the body does not have enough nutrients to produce energy. Thus, it tries to compensate for this energy by breaking down its own tissues and shutting down its functions. As a result, it may use stored fat in the body and then proceed to the muscle, skin, hair, and nails. In most cases, people with this type of malnutrition are visibly emaciated.
Moreover, one of the first systems that the body shuts down is the immune system. As a result, it leads to an increased risk of developing multiple health conditions and infections. You may also notice that you recover slowly and wounds take more time to heal. In this case, people may experience low heart rate, low blood pressure (hypotension), low body temperature, loss of appetite, atrophy of the digestive system, and others.
Sometimes, people with macronutrient undernutrition may also have micronutrient undernutrition. When these types of malnutrition occur at the same time, it may lead to serious health problems, including marasmus, vision problems, soft bones, edema, severe weakness, skin problems, and others.
However, if you are eating many calories but not enough vitamins and minerals, the symptoms are often milder, but it may also cause severe complications if left untreated. Examples include anemia (low red blood cell count), metabolic syndrome (including hypertension and insulin resistance), and others.
Symptoms
The symptoms often vary among people with malnutrition because they depend on the type of malnutrition. Check some symptoms of malnutrition below:
Undernutrition Symptoms
- Low body weight
- Prominent bones
- Depleted fat and muscle
- Weakness, faintness, and extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- Irritability or apathy
- Brittle hair or even hair loss
- Low body temperature and heart rate
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Dry skin
- Rashes and lesions
- Delayed growth and development (in children)
- Edema
- Frequent and severe infections
Overnutrition Symptoms
These include:
- Obesity (excessive body weight)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Insulin resistance
- Heart disease
It is advised to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you or your child experiences any of the previous symptoms.
Causes
There are multiple factors that may lead to malnutrition. For example, you can develop undernutrition if you have a poor diet or a health condition that prevents the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Check some causes of undernutrition below:
- Limited financial resources or access to nutritious foods
- Health conditions that make it difficult to eat (including nausea, swallowing problems, and others)
- Diseases that deplete calories (such as cancer, diarrhea, and others)
- Need for extra calories (such as during pregnancy or breastfeeding)
- Mental disorders (such as depression, dementia, and others)
- Eating disorders (including anorexia, bulimia, and others)
- Malabsorption, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or pancreatic insufficiency
- You get long-term intravenous feeding
- Restricted diets
Overnutrition Causes
- Chronic (long-term) stress
- Binge eating disorder
- Prolonged use of dietary supplements
- Mental health problems
- Hormonal imbalance
- Disorders that slow down the metabolism (such as hypothyroidism)
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Choosing a few nutritious food options
Risk Factors
While this condition may affect anyone, a lack of knowledge of nutrition, a lack of access to multiple foods, a sedentary modern lifestyle, and economic disadvantages may increase your risk of developing it. Check some populations that are at increased risk of developing malnutrition below:
- Poor and low income – It happens in a developed country (such as the U.S.) or a developing one.
- Children – They often have an increased risk of developing malnutrition because they need more nutrients to grow and develop.
- Chronic health conditions – There are multiple health conditions that negatively affect the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from foods.
- Older adults – Proper nutrition can be affected by reduced mobility, institutionalization, decreased appetite, and reduced absorption of nutrients in older adults.
- Sedentary lifestyle – These include desk jobs, family obligations, health, and social factors that keep you sitting all day instead of moving. It often leads to overnutrition and excessive body weight.
How to Prevent Malnutrition?
In general, malnutrition is a global problem in both developed and developing worlds, due to poverty and a lack of understanding of nutrition. However, healthcare professionals are able to help control the disease of malnutrition and give support, including clean water, nutritious whole foods, and medicine.
The best way to prevent this condition is to eat a well-balanced diet that includes multiple nutritious whole foods. Moreover, you should get treatment as soon as possible if you have a condition that prevents the body from absorbing nutrients.
Diagnosis
Usually, doctors begin the diagnosis with a physical examination to check for abnormalities linked to the disease. They may also ask some questions about your symptoms and medical history to get more clues about the condition. However, to confirm or rule out malnutrition, doctors will perform a blood test to check for specific micronutrients and macronutrient imbalances.
Treatment
Doctors usually recommend different treatments for people with malnutrition. For instance, if you develop undernutrition, your doctor may recommend nutritional supplements or a high-calorie formula used to restore what is missing in the body. If you develop a severe form of undernutrition, it may take several weeks of refeeding to treat it. Furthermore, refeeding may be dangerous, especially in the first 2-3 days, because the body makes multiple changes to adapt to undernutrition. That’s why refeeding often occurs under medical supervision.
However, if you have overnutrition, doctors mostly recommend dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and losing extra body weight. It often helps prevent secondary diseases (such as diabetes and heart disease). Some people may need additional treatments for the underlying condition, including thyroid disease, mental health disorders, and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the prognosis for people with malnutrition?
Generally, this is a treatable condition, but if you develop a severe form or do not get treatment right you notice the symptoms, it may lead to a serious health condition. For example, if you have a deficiency of vitamin A, it may lead to blindness. In people with overnutrition, it may lead to insulin resistance (diabetes), carotid artery disease, and other serious health problems. For more details, discuss it with your doctor.
When should I see my healthcare provider?
Commonly, you should contact your healthcare provider in the following cases. Examples include:
- Recently lost or gained more than 10 pounds unintentionally
- You think you have an eating disorder
- Symptoms of anemia (including faintness, apathy, weakness, and extreme tiredness)
What are the 4 types of malnutrition?
These include undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiency), micronutrient-related malnutrition (deficiency or excessive vitamins and minerals), overnutrition (obesity), and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (including diabetes, heart disease, and others). If you have any other questions, ask your healthcare provider.
