Malnutrition occurs when your body is deprived of certain nutrients it needs to keep organs functioning and maintain healthy tissues. However, it isn't limited to undernutrition. Rather, it can also describe a diet that is poorly balanced, according to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Sometimes malnutrition is mild and doesn't cause any noticeable symptoms, but in serious cases it can lead to permanent physical damage.
Brain Deficits
Malnutrition can lead to mental deficits and, if it chronically affects fetuses and children during growth spurts can lead to permanent retardation. A fetus' brain develops quickly from the 10th to 18th weeks of gestation and again just before birth and through the second year of life, according to the University of Washington. As a result, malnourished pregnant women are more likely to give birth to babies with damaged nervous systems, mental retardation and behavioral problems; malnourished babies and toddlers are more likely to develop cognitive deficits later.
Marasmus and Kwashiorkor
People who don't get enough protein and calories can develop conditions called marasmus and kwashiorkor. Kwashiorkor is typically caused by a deficiency in protein but not always calories. Kwashiorkor can lead to symptoms such as fluid retention -- causing a more bloated appearance -- as well as muscular wasting, diarrhea, anemia, loss of pigmentation in the hair and skin and permanent blindness. Marasmus, a condition characterized by wasting away of muscle tissue and fat stores, often results from a deficiency in calories as well as protein, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. People with marasmus typically appear emaciated and are severely underweight.
Poor Immunity
Malnutrition is the world's leading cause of compromised immunity, and chronic malnutrition is a chief risk factor in disease and premature death, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Many macronutrients and micronutrients are necessary to support immune functions such as the production of antibodies and allowing special white blood cells, called phagocytes, to ingest foreign particles and invading microorganisms. For instance, a vitamin A deficiency can compromise normal functioning of natural killer cells, helper cells and phagocytes, and a zinc deficiency could lead to a reduced total number of white blood cells and antibodies.
Overweight and Obesity
Overnutrition, a common form of malnutrition in developed countries, occurs when a person consumes more than the recommended amount of certain nutrients. For example, a standard diet in the United States includes many calorie-dense, processed foods that contain a disproportionately low number of vitamins and minerals. People who consistently ingest more calories than their bodies use each day are at a high risk of gaining weight and developing weight-related health problems such as heart disease, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and a greater risk of infections. About 34 percent of U.S. adults and 17 percent of children and teens in the United States are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other Signs and Symptoms
Malnutrition can cause a host of general symptoms that you may not attribute to nutritional deficiencies. For instance, if you are malnourished you can develop changes in your senses of smell, taste and sight, according to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Other signs that sometimes occur from malnutrition are mood changes, fatigue, anxiety, pale and dry skin, susceptibility to bruising, thin and dry hair, fertility problems, pain in the joints, weak bones, night blindness, sensitivity to cold and light and organ failure.
References
- Medical News Today: What is Malnutrition? What Causes Malnutrition?; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Malnutrition
- TeensHealth from Nemours: Hunger and Malnutrition
- Science Encyclopedia: Nutrient Deficiency Diseases: Marasmus and Kwashiorkor
- Linus Pauling Institute: Nutrition and Immunity
- Johns Hopkins Children's Center: Malnutrition
