Overview
Malnutrition is a body condition which is contributed by lack of enough nutrients or too of it which results to health problems. Nutrients can entail calories, carbohydrates, protein, minerals or vitamins. While most people think that malnutrition only involves undernutrition, the term can also be used to mean overnutrition. Despite the term being associated with developing nation, the condition also exist in developed nations such as the UK, the US and Australia among others. In fact, a research established that 33 million individual in Europe risk the getting to the state of malnutrition.
Causes
In developed countries, malnutrition is caused by both lack of sufficient nutrients and even too much of it. In developed countries, elderly people who are aged 65 years and above normally live within care facilities and such situation put them at a risk of becoming malnutrition. In such places, the elderly face long term diseases which affect their ability of absorption and even their appetite hence complexity in feeding themselves. Furthermore, there the elderly people might face mental ailments such as depression which affect appetite leading to undernutrition. Similarly, young people, students or disabled individuals living alone usually have hard time cooking balanced diet for themselves hence face risk of the malnutrition. Obesity is considered as malnutrition condition. Obesity is resulted by situation of excess nutrients in the body leading to overnutrition. The rates of obesity in the US have double in both children and adults since 1970s. Another research posited that 67% and 57% of UK’s men and women respectively are either obese or overweight. Obesity is caused by consuming food with excess calories and less physical activities.
Symptoms
Weight loss is one the common symptom of malnutrition. When the elderly, young people and disabled find it hard to prepare a balance diet for them, they miss various nutrients leading to weight loss. In addition, loss of appetite leads to poor eating hence loss of weight. Malnutrition is signified with fatigue and weak muscles due to poor diet and poor eating habit. People who are facing malnutrition often become susceptible to diseases such as obesity and ulcers. Another symptom seen on people who are malnutrition is the delayed healing of cuts and small wounds.
Felix perspective 