Malnutrition
What is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition is a condition caused by eating a diet that does not contain the required amount of nutrients like vitamins, minerals etc. One out of three people are affected by malnutrition all over the world. Malnutrition is a cause of 30 to 35% child deaths.
Types of Malnutrition:
There
are four types of malnutrition. These are given below.
v Chronic malnutrition:
Chronic malnutrition takes a long time
to develop. It may be moderate or severe.
v Acute malnutrition:
It can develop in short time period for example in a month or a week. It results in wasting and thinness of the body.
v Micronutrient deficiencies:
Malnutrition
may also occur due to the deficiency of one or two nutrients.
v Overweight and obesity:
Some people eat much like fast foods but their diet is insufficient for some minerals or nutrients for example vitamin deficiency like vitamin b 12 deficiency lead to anemia vitamin a deficiency to night blindness in minerals calcium lead to rickets and brittle bone iodine can cause goiter etc.,
Who are at risk?
§ Older people
§ Poor families
§ Ill person
§ Orphans
§ Homeless people
§ People obsessed with junk food
 |
| Poverty |
Symptoms:
Symptoms of malnutrition
include.
§ muscle wasting
§ weight loss
§ increased risk of illness
§ bone weakness
§ joint problems
§ bleeding gums
§ pale skin
§ mental disability
§ weak immunity
§ feeling fatigue
§ low tissue mass
§ they have smaller height, statue
as compared to their age
§ marasmus
§ kwashiorkor
 |
| Marasmus |
Causes:
The factors which can lead to
malnutrition are many but some are given below.
§ imbalance diet
§ stomach problems
§ having not enough food
§ malabsorption of the nutrients
essential for the body
§ lack of appetite
§ poor health conditions
§ diarrhea in children
§ famine
§ conflict and violence
§ premature baby
§ poverty
Imbalanced diet:
Inadequate diet or imbalance diet is the diet
that does not contain required amount of nutrients. It can lead to mineral
deficiency or vitamin deficiency in the body.
Diagnosis:
We can diagnose malnutrition in
the affected people by the following ways.
§ by body mass index
§ his legs are comparatively smaller
than abdomen and waist
§ by taking mid-upper arm diameter
in children
§ the patient has edema in lower limb
§ ribs visible
§ dome shaped abdomen
 |
| MUAC |
How to prevent?
§ diet plan
§ equal distribution of food
§ food supplements
§ vitamin pills
§ avoid junk food
§ eat more fruits and vegetables
 |
| Balanced Diet |
Prevention in children:
We can prevent the children
from malnutrition by the following methods.
§ more breastfeeding of the
children
§ neonates checkups
§ prenatal checkups
§ milk supplements
 |
| Breast Feeding |
Countries most affected:
African countries:
·
Sudan
·
Somalia
·
Chad
·
Ethiopia
·
Kenya
·
Nigeria
·
Sierra Leone
·
Haiti
·
Madagascar
·
Congo
·
Central African Republic
·
Comoros
Asian countries:
·
Afghanistan
·
Burma
·
India
·
Pakistan
·
Syria
·
Yemen
·
Nepal
· Sri Lanka
United Nations Chart Of Hunger :
 |
| UN Hunger Chart |
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