If one or more basic nutrients are missing from diet. This condition is known as malnutrition.
There are types of malnutrition.
Characterised by delayed growth in the children.
Characterised by insufficient weight in relation to the child’s height. Acute malnutrition can be moderate or severe according to the child’s height.
Under-nourishment & malnutrition have serious consequences for the health of the young worldwide, three main nutrition deficiencies are of particular concern.
In the world’s most common causes of preventable child blindness and vision impairment.
It is the major preventable cause of mental retardation worldwide.
Protein-energy malnutrition means inadequate malnutrition on absorption of energy and proteins in the body. It leads to the following diseases.
It is due to protein deficiency.
It occurs at the age of 12 months, usually when breast feeding is discontinued. It can also develop any time during a child’s growing years.
Children may grow to a normal height but are abnormally thin.
Nutrient deficiency is the main cause of marasmus.
Marasmus usually develops between the ages of six months and one year.
Patients lose all their body fat & muscle strength and acquire a skeletal appearance.
Following are the examples of disease resulting from the deficiency of a mineral.
A goitre is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland.
It is a condition caused by an insufficient amount of iodine in the diet.
Iodine is used by the thyroid gland to produce hormones that control the body’s normal functioning and growth.
The term anaemia literally means “a lack of blood”. The means condition is caused when the number of red blood cells reduced to a level lower than normal.
Deficiency of haemoglobin due to the lack of iron is one of the main causes of anaemia.
Over intake of nutrients (OIN) is form of malnutrition in which more nutrients are taken than the amounts required for normal growth, development and metabolism.
The effects of over intake of nutrition are usually intensified when there is reduction in daily physical activity. Also a cause of a number of health problems.
For example, high intake of carbohydrates and fats leads to obesity, Diabetes and cardiovascular problems.