Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a significantly common condition worldwide in all its forms, and it’s critical to understand that it could lead to serious complications if it isn’t managed.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition occurs when the body doesn’t get all the appropriate nutrients that it needs to stay healthy and function properly. Malnutrition is a serious condition because it could cause severe health consequences.

Types of malnutrition

There are four main forms of malnutrition, depending on what the body lacks and how many calories are entering it. People in general think that when a person is underweight, then this is malnutrition, whereas in fact, you can be obese and malnourished at the same time.

Macronutrient undernutrition

Macronutrients refer to the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. These macronutrients are the essential pillars that the body relies on to produce energy in order to keep living. When there is a deficiency in one or all of them, the body starts to turn off certain functions to reserve energy, and it begins to break down tissues and soon will be collapsed.

Micronutrient undernutrition

Micronutrients refer to minerals and vitamins, which are necessary for the body’s job despite the fact that it needs them in little quantities.

Macronutrient overnutrition

Consuming extra amounts of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) results in them being stored as fat cells until there isn’t more tissue to be stored in; then, these fat cells will enlarge to contain these additional macronutrients.

Micronutrient overnutrition

Although you can’t be overnourished on micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) just from food, having large doses of certain vitamin and mineral supplements could actually lead to toxic effects on the body.

Causes and risk factors leading to malnutrition

Causes and risk factors of undernutrition:

• Difficulty getting access to nutritious food.
• Financial difficulties.
• Following an extremely restrictive diet.
• Health conditions that make it difficult to eat like nausea and difficulty swallowing, health conditions that quickly clear out calories like chronic diarrhea and cancer, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, and mental conditions that affects the appetite like depression and dementia.
• Having malabsorption.
• Certain situations when a person needs extra calories and doesn’t have them, like pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood.
• When a person is on intravenous feeding for a long period of time.
• Undernutrition is common in people who have low income, children, the elderly, and those who have chronic illnesses that affect their appetite or calorie absorption.

Causes and risk factors of overnutrition:

• Limited healthy food options.
• Health conditions that slow down the metabolism like hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances that conflict hunger and fullness signals, binge eating disorder, and psychological conditions like chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.
• Overnutrition is common in people who have easier access to fast food and who live a sedentary lifestyle.
• Overusing dietary supplements for a long time.

Symptoms of malnutrition

Symptoms of undernutrition:

• Reduced body weight and depleted muscle and fat.
• Stunted growth and intellectual impairment in children.
• Weakness and fatigue.
• Thin arms and legs with a swollen abdomen.
• Unhealthy skin, brittle hair, and hair loss.
• Decreased body temperature and heart rate.
• Irritability and decreased concentration.
• Impaired immune system, which leads to frequent and severe infections.

Symptoms of overnutrition:

• Insulin resistance.
• Obesity.
• Heart disease and hypertension.
• Toxic effects from overdosing on micronutrients.

Diagnosis of malnutrition

• Physical examination.
• Medical history.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of malnutrition

• Treating undernutrition can be done by individual nutrients or refeeding the patient with a specific high-calorie formula designated for the patient. The refeeding time might take weeks in severe undernutrition and must be performed under medical observation in order to avoid refeeding syndrome.
• Treating overnutrition depends on following a healthy diet, losing weight, and exercising regularly.