Malnutrition

Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess (too high an intake), or in the wrong proportion. The term malnutrition generally refers both to under nutrition and over nutrition, but in this guide we use the term to refer solely to a deficiency of nutrition.  Many factors can cause malnutrition, most of which relate to poor diet or severe and repeated infections, particularly in underprivileged d populations.  Inadequate diet and disease, in turn, are closely linked to the general standard of living, the environmental conditions, and whether a population is able to meet its basic needs such as food, housing and health care.  Malnutrition is thus a health outcome as well as a risk factor for disease and exacerbated malnutrition (Fig. 1.1), and it can increase the risk both of morbidity and mortality.  Although it is rarely the direct cause of death (except in extreme situations, such as famine and starvation).

Malnutrition commonly affects all groups in a community, but infants and young children are the most vulnerable because of their high nutritional requirements for growth and development.  Another group of concern is pregnant women, given that a malnourished mother is at high risk of giving birth to a LBW baby who will be prone to growth failure during infancy and early childhood, and be at increased risk of morbidity and early death. Malnourished girls, in particular, risk becoming yet another malnourished mother, thus contributing to the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.

According to the WHO, malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality, present in half of all cases. Underweight births and inter –uterine growth restrictions cause 2.2 million child deaths a year. Poor or nonexistent breastfeeding causes another 1.4 million .Other deficiencies, such as lack of vita or zinc, for example, account for 1 million. Malnutrition was previously seen as something that exacerbates the problem s of diseases as measles, pneumonia and diarrhea. But malnutrition actually causes diseases as well, and can be fatal in its own right.

Undernourishment around the world in 2010

Based on latest available data, the total number of undernourished people in the world is estimated to have reached 1023 million in 2009 and is expected to decline by 9.6 percent to 925 million in 2010. 

 source ; FAO