An Overview of the Types of Malnutrition
When a person doesn’t get enough of the nutrients necessary for good health, he or she is said to suffer from malnutrition.
Malnutrition can occur as a result of lack of food intake. If food intake is insufficient, malnutrition can result from a diet that is unbalanced. It could also be due to digestion and food absorption problems. Finally, malnutrition can occur as a result of medical conditions like gastrointestinal disorders, chronic renal disease, tuberculosis and alcoholism, among others.
Contrary to the popular belief, you can suffer from malnutrition, even if it’s only a single vitamin you lack in your diet. There are cases of mild malnutrition, which display no symptoms. However, in extreme cases, the effects of malnutrition can do permanent damage to the body. Studies show that malnutrition is more prevalent in children than adults. The main causes are poverty, child abuse, or neglect.
Let’s take a look at the types of malnutrition.
Types of Malnutrition
When discussing malnutrition, one should consider what nutrients are lacking, the duration, and from what age it started.
The basic form of malnutrition is referred to as protein energy malnutrition. This form of malnutrition results from a diet that is bereft of protein and energy. The chief cause is inadequate levels of the major nutrients like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Protein and energy deficiencies can lead to a condition called marasmus (Greek word for starvation). Sufferers appear skeletally thin. In serious cases, protein-energy malnutrition can lead to kwashiorkor, where swelling sets in, and can result in the `moon face’ condition.
Here we take a look at malnutrition caused by iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies. These deficiencies have been identified by the World Health Organization as the main causes of death resulting from disease in developing countries.
Iron Deficiency
Millions of people are affected by this prevalent form of malnutrition. The main symptoms of iron deficiency are tiredness and lethargy. This is understandable, as iron is necessary for the formation of the molecules which transport oxygen in the bloodstream. When a large section of the population suffers from this deficiency, national productivity is affected.
Iron deficiency also retards cognitive development. According to a report released by Unicef, it affects 40 to 60 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 24 months in developing countries.
Vitamin A Deficiency
A lack of vitamin A weakens the immune system. In poor countries, this deficiency affects a high percentage of the children under five years old. Studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency can increase the risk of death from malaria, measles, and diarrhea by 20 to 24 percent. UN research reports also point to vitamin A deficiencies as the main cause of child blindness in developing countries.
Zinc Deficiency
Zinc may not seem to be an important nutrient for good health. The truth is, zinc deficiency retards healthy growth and is the main cause of a weakened immunity in young children. It contributes to nearly 800, 000 deaths a year across the world by increasing the risk of diarrhea and pneumonia.
References
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000404.htm - general information on malnutrition
https://www.wfp.org/hunger/malnutrition/types - World Food Programme – types of malnutrition