Content
Malnutrition is the inadequate intake or absorption of nutrients necessary to satisfy the energy needs for normal functioning of the body or growth of the organism, in the case of children. It is a more serious condition in the elderly, children or pregnant women that can even lead to death, if very severe, when the body mass index is less than 18 kg / m2.
Malnutrition usually occurs in people with economic difficulties or inhabitants of underdeveloped countries, such as Africa, causing, especially, child malnutrition.
Malnutrition can lead to diseases such as anemia, lack of iron, hypothyroidism, iodine deficiency or xerophthalmia, in the reduction of vitamin A, for example. Therefore, people must have a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle to avoid malnutrition. See how to have a healthy diet.
Main symptoms
The main symptom of malnutrition is loss of body weight, but other symptoms are:
- Frequent diarrhea;
- Excessive tiredness;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Lack of appetite;
- Decreased body temperature;
- Apathy or irritability;
- Generalized swelling.
In the most severe cases of malnutrition, weakening of the immune system can occur, resulting in frequent infections.
Possible causes
The most common causes of malnutrition are lack of access to food; problems with metabolism or nutrient absorption, such as diarrhea, anorexia or diabetes; use of medicines that reduce the absorption of nutrients, such as chemotherapy and situations that increase the need for nutrients, such as high fever or burns, for example.
Another frequent cause of malnutrition is to eat diets low in certain nutrients, as in the case of some vegetarians or fad diets.
Who is most at risk
The group that is most at risk of malnutrition are babies, especially when the mother does not breastfeed adequately or when the baby does not consume milk adequately for her age, and children up to 5 years old, a stage in which she totally depends on the care of adults to feed themselves.
In addition, the elderly and people with anorexia or other serious illnesses, such as cancer and heart failure, are also more likely to become malnourished, as they are usually unable to consume the necessary amount of food per day.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for malnutrition is done by gradually increasing the amount of calories ingested, avoiding intestinal changes, such as diarrhea. Thus, between 6 and 12 meals a day are made with little amount of food.
As treatment progresses, the number of meals is reduced, while the amounts of food at each meal are increased, depending on the patient's adaptation. However, when the individual is unable to eat solid foods, diets or liquid supplements can be used to ensure the necessary nutrients. In the most severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary for the patient to be fed nutrients directly into the vein or through a gastric tube.
Consequences of malnutrition
The main consequence of malnutrition is reduced physical growth and lower intellectual performance in children. This happens because the extreme thinness ends up reducing the height that the child could reach in adulthood, and hinders his learning, memory and reasoning.
In addition, other main consequences are:
- Severe weight loss;
- Low immunity, favoring the appearance of diseases;
- Anemia;
- Difficulty in wound healing;
- Fragile skin, hair and nails;
- Most visible wrinkles;
- Intestinal malfunction;
- Delay in children's intellectual development;
- Infertility.
In addition, in the most severe cases, in which it is not treated properly, malnutrition can be life-threatening.