Malnutrition definition, type, cause, and treatment
Malnutrition definition, type, cause, and treatment
According to the World Health Organization, 462 million people are victims of malnutrition and 159 million children are affected by it. In 118 countries, 140 million school children and 7 million pregnant women are becoming victims of malnutrition. The biggest factor affecting a person's health is the nutrition that the body receives, because the body needs a balanced amount of nutrients and energy for good health. The essential elements in a balanced diet are: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber and water. This requirement depends on age, gender and lifestyle. Taking more or less of these elements can have bad effects on health. Malnutrition can be due to 2 reasons:- Due to lack or excess of nutrients which can be called undernutrition or overnutrition.
Malnutrition causes
If a large number of people suffer from malnutrition in any country or city, there may be many reasons for this, including economic, social and political reasons:-
social status
The causes of malnutrition are not only excess or lack of nutrition but it is also affected by social status. For example, this is also possible due to population growth, in which only a part of the society gets all the nutrition. And on the other hand, they become victims of malnutrition. In the same way, the possibility of malnutrition increases during war and this problem is common in growing children. In this way, in fact, malnutrition has become the main problem in the health related problems of the society, because today's youth starts to compromise on nutrients in the desire to keep their body fit, on top of that, eating too much junk food also depletes the body of nutrients. decreases.
starvation
According to the World Food Program (WFP), approximately 1.02 billion people worldwide suffer from malnutrition and hunger. This means that 1 out of every 6 people do not get the necessary food and live a healthy life. Because of this, hunger and malnutrition are at the top of the world's health-related problems, even if AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are seen together, they are more serious. Natural calamities, poverty, lack of agriculture and overexploitation of habitats are also a reason.
In recent times, the hindrances in the economic progress of some countries are also responsible for starvation. Along with starvation, the lack of micro and essential nutrients are also causes of malnutrition which cause various diseases in healthy people and also block the physical and mental development of the person.
Malnutrition and economic status
Malnutrition is also due to economic weakness. People don't even have money to buy nutritious food, so they eat only what they get and this unbalanced diet increases malnutrition. So the real problem is money, because if food is available, some people are not able to raise enough money for it. This is why poor people live their lives only on essential items like bread, tea, sugar and rice. Because vegetables and meat are very expensive for them.
types of malnutrition
Malnutrition is not only due to lack of nutrients but can also be taken in excess amount. Malnutrition can be of the following types:
Acute Malnutrition –
When there is too much weight loss, then it is malnutrition. Due to this, 3 types of malnutrition are possible
1.Marsemous-
In this disease, the fat in the body begins to decrease rapidly, and the tissue (tissue) begins to deteriorate. Due to this, the immune system of the body starts to weaken.
2. Kwashiorkor –
In this disease, body fluids cannot leave the body, due to which changes in skin and hair color, obesity, diarrhea, loss of muscle mass, weakening of the immune system, weight gain and stunted growth, Swelling in the knees, feet and lower part of the body is also a symptom of this.
3. Mersamic Kwashiokor –
It is a mixed form of marsemus and kwashiorkor in which the symptoms of both diseases are seen.
Chronic Malnutrition –
These diseases are found in people who suffer from malnutrition for a long time, the results of which are reflected for a long time. If a pregnant woman does not get full nutrition, then it starts before birth in the child which means that the child is weak from the time of birth. Apart from this, if the mother's milk is not given to the newborn, there is still a possibility of malnutrition.
Growth Failure Malnutrition –
In this, the patient's weight and height do not increase according to age requirements.
Micronutrient Malnutrition:-
When the patient's body lacks minerals like vitamins A, B, C and D, folate, iron, iodine, zinc and calcium. All these vitamins and minerals are very essential for the body.
Lack of iron leads to anemia, the brain cannot develop and the heart rate is adversely affected. Iodine deficiency affects the thyroid gland and increases the possibility of mental disorders.
Selenium deficiency has an adverse effect on the heart and circulatory system, it also increases the risk of osteoarthritis and weakens the immune system.
Lack of vitamin B12 reduces the production of red blood cells and the nerves also start to deform. Due to the lack of vitamin A, the vision becomes weak, the bones cannot develop and the immunity also starts to decrease.
If the body lacks vitamin D, then rickets and other bone-related problems can also occur. If folate or vitamin B9 is low, anemia can occur and the growth rate is also reduced. Zinc deficiency is accompanied by anemia and sensory perception is also reduced.
Other diseases caused by malnutrition
Malnutrition is not the only disease, it can also cause some other diseases. Not only those people who do not get enough food, but also those whose food does not contain essential nutrients such as vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, may also face malnutrition. The most common type of malnutrition is related to protein and energy, which is caused by the lack of energy and protein in the diet, along with all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In fact, the cause of malnutrition depends on the quality of a person's diet. There are many types of malnutrition and its causes depend on how long and at what age the lack of nutrients in the food.
body decay
In this disease, the skeletal system of the patient begins to weaken, under unusual circumstances, this disease turns into a disease called kwashiorkor, in which swelling occurs in the body and the face also appears quite swollen, it is also called "moon face".
Other types of malnutrition can also be fatal to life because the lack of vitamins and minerals in the body can cause diseases like anemia, scurvy, pelligra, beri-beri.
The main components of blood are red blood cells which are made of hemoglobin, this hemoglobin contains iron. This hemoglobin helps in the transportation of oxygen from the blood. Therefore, due to lack of iron, the body begins to complain of fatigue.
Iodine deficiency is the biggest cause of mental disorders and brain diseases in the world. 780 million people around the world are deficient in iodine due to thyroid related diseases which involve swelling of the thyroid gland called goiter and worst of all it affects the brain which cannot develop without iodine. . Zinc deficiency stunts growth and weakens immunity. It also increases the risk of diarrhea and pneumonia.
Vitamin A deficiency also weakens the body's immune system. Due to which many other diseases start attacking the body, this deficiency also affects the eyesight.
Malnutrition diseases symptoms
By identifying the initial symptoms, if timely treatment is provided, then the problem of malnutrition can be reduced. Several methods are available to identify it, chief among which is the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), a 5-step plan designed to identify malnourished adults:
First step:
The body mass index is calculated by measuring height and weight.
Second step:
Note the weight loss without any plan and see the score. For example, in normal life, losing weight by 5 to 10% without any effort makes the score 1, but losing weight by 10% makes the score 2.
Third step:
Scores are determined by looking at mental and physical condition. For example, if a person is chronically ill and has not taken food for 5 consecutive days, then the score will be 3.
Step Four:
The total risk score is calculated by adding the scores of the three steps above.
Fifth step:
Now you have to take the help of the nearest guidelines to make a care plan. If the person is at the minimum risk of malnutrition, then the score will be 0, but a score of 1 means that the disease is likely to occur and a score of more than 2 means that the patient is at a very high risk.
MUST is used only to identify malnutrition and further treatment requires a visit to the doctor. Because it does not indicate any lack of nutrients.
Treatment of malnutrition
After screening with the help of MUST, the treatment process begins. At low risk, nutrition can be started at the hospital or at home. If it is a little more than this, the diet is determined for 3 days. If there is more risk, the person has to get treatment from a dietician.
The type of treatment depends on the severity of malnutrition. Those that are possible can range from the initial level to the most serious situation. For this, the dietitian makes some changes in the diet in which it is ensured that it is a diet containing enough nutrients. A balanced diet is given for this. Fortified food which contains extra nutrients are given, calorie rich drinks are given. Ready to Use Foods (RUTFs) are also being used for malnourished children.
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