MALNUTRITION
Definition-
Malnutrition is the lack of food and nutrients a person takes in. Malnutrition is not only a lack of food, it can also be the wrong mixture of foods and also over-eating and the resulting obesity.
Effects-
Malnutrition can lead to very serious and permanent effects on a child's growth and development if it is an ongoing issue or if it presents itself at a young age. These effects are many, including lethargy and withdrawal, delayed development of motor skills such as walking or crawling, brain damage and delayed intellectual development. All of these effects can result in lack of education, meaning no job which leads to poverty. It is a constant cycle that is hard to break out of.
Malnutrition is the lack of food and nutrients a person takes in. Malnutrition is not only a lack of food, it can also be the wrong mixture of foods and also over-eating and the resulting obesity.
Effects-
Malnutrition can lead to very serious and permanent effects on a child's growth and development if it is an ongoing issue or if it presents itself at a young age. These effects are many, including lethargy and withdrawal, delayed development of motor skills such as walking or crawling, brain damage and delayed intellectual development. All of these effects can result in lack of education, meaning no job which leads to poverty. It is a constant cycle that is hard to break out of.
Types of Malnutrition-
Kwashiorkor:
Kwashiorkor is a result of inadequate protein intake. Symptoms that develop in the early stages of Kwashiorkor include fatigue, lethargy and irritability. If nothing is done about these symptoms, which is most likely to be the case in underdeveloped or developing countries, symptoms can include growth failure, loss of muscle mass, generalised swelling (which in many cases is in the stomach) and decreased immunity.
Marasmus:
Marasmus is a severe type of malnutrition linked to energy deficiency. Children often look emaciated and symptoms include dramatic weight loss (reduced to 80% of the normal weight for the child's height), extensive tissue and muscle wasting and also many loose skin folds.
Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa:
Although developed countries have a more accessible food supply, this doesn't mean that malnutrition doesn't occur. Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa can lead to severe malnutrition and can cause long term effects such as depression and other mental health issues, infertility, dental erosion, anaemia and osteoporosis. The difference between these types of malnutrition and malnutrition in developing countries is that it is a choice the person makes as opposed to economics and a lack of food.
Kwashiorkor:
Kwashiorkor is a result of inadequate protein intake. Symptoms that develop in the early stages of Kwashiorkor include fatigue, lethargy and irritability. If nothing is done about these symptoms, which is most likely to be the case in underdeveloped or developing countries, symptoms can include growth failure, loss of muscle mass, generalised swelling (which in many cases is in the stomach) and decreased immunity.
Marasmus:
Marasmus is a severe type of malnutrition linked to energy deficiency. Children often look emaciated and symptoms include dramatic weight loss (reduced to 80% of the normal weight for the child's height), extensive tissue and muscle wasting and also many loose skin folds.
Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa:
Although developed countries have a more accessible food supply, this doesn't mean that malnutrition doesn't occur. Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa can lead to severe malnutrition and can cause long term effects such as depression and other mental health issues, infertility, dental erosion, anaemia and osteoporosis. The difference between these types of malnutrition and malnutrition in developing countries is that it is a choice the person makes as opposed to economics and a lack of food.