Food and Nutrition

Malnutrition

4 Malnutrition: Malnutrition arises when the body lacks essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients necessary for the maintenance of healthy tissues and organs. Both undernourishment and over nourishment contribute to malnutrition. Various tests have been developed to address this issue, aiming to objectively assess the physiological and functional consequences of malnutrition and evaluate the impacts of nutritional interventions. Registered dietitian nutritionists play a crucial role in healthcare by striving to enhance the speed and accuracy of malnutrition diagnosis and nutritional interventions. Malnutrition manifests as a physical condition marked by dietary imbalance, indicating either undernourishment or over nourishment. Undernutrition occurs when vital nutrients are insufficiently consumed or are depleted more rapidly than they can be replenished. Conversely, over nutrition results from excessive food intake, consumption of inappropriate foods, inadequate physical activity, or excessive use of vitamins and dietary supplements.

Themes covered:

• Monitoring Rates of Malnutrition Risk
• Malnutrition Screening
• Undernutrition
• Malnutrition in Children
• Micronutrient-Related Malnutrition
• Symptoms and Diagnosis