MALNUTRITION: CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, TYPES - NUTRITION - 2025

The malnutrition is defined as insufficient consumption of protein, calories and other nutrients necessary for optimal development of motor, cognitive and psychological abilities of people.

Among the main causes of malnutrition are poverty and limited access to education. Environmental conditions, which in many countries prevent staple food crops from being successful, also play a role.

Children living in poverty are at higher risk of suffering from malnutrition. Source: pixabay.com

In general, Latin American countries present high levels of malnutrition, and countries such as Venezuela have seen a significant increase in this affectation as a consequence of the existing crisis in the economic, institutional and health spheres.

Despite this unfavorable situation in Latin America, the African continent continues to be the most affected by malnutrition; in fact, registered data indicate that Africa is the region of the world that suffers the most from this disease.

characteristics

- Malnutrition is mainly characterized by excessive weight loss that can affect both infants and adults.

- When it affects a child is when it is considered most dangerous, since it negatively affects the entire development of the infant. Various medical studies have determined that malnutrition in childhood generates short adolescents and adults, with diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and reduced motor capacity.

- It is currently one of the most widespread conditions. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Union and the World Food Program, in 2018 more than 100 million people had very little access to a balanced diet.

- Malnutrition can be fatal, especially when it severely affects young children. Older adults are also one of the most vulnerable populations.

- This condition is different from malnutrition. The latter also includes dietary excesses that lead to obesity and other diseases associated with excess weight gain.

Causes

Inadequate food consumption

The most obvious cause of malnutrition is a diet lacking in the nutrients the body needs to develop in the best possible way.

Poverty as a social phenomenon is closely related to the inadequate consumption of food. For this reason, the most vulnerable populations are those that live with little income and below the poverty line.

Poor appetite

When there is a significant decrease in an individual's appetite, it is usually related to other severe diseases, such as some types of cancer, depression, very chronic infections, certain mental illnesses or conditions that affect the kidneys, among others.

Eating Disorders

Anorexia and bulimia can cause malnutrition in the person who suffers from these diseases. These disorders make it difficult for the individual to eat food, so they end up having a very poor diet.

Consequences

Involuntary weight loss

As a consequence of a diet with few nutrients, the individual begins to lose weight and reaches levels that are far below the ideal according to their age; This scenario is known as underweight.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2018 there were around 462 million people who were underweight.

When a child's height decreases a lot, it can cause growth retardation, which in turn implies poor cognitive and physical development.

Poor immune system

The low intake of nutrients prevents the immune system from fully developing. This implies that the production of white blood cells decreases and the body is exposed to diseases that can become dangerous, such as those related to the lungs or the intestines.

Likewise, the healing processes of those who suffer from malnutrition are much slower than in the cases of healthy people, which implies a greater possibility of infections.

Reduced gripping force

When an individual's weight is below the ideal for their age, their muscle and grip strength also decreases, which implies less possibility of optimal body development.

Loss of muscle mass

By losing excess weight and not having adequate protein intake, you also lose muscle mass. Having small and underdeveloped muscles leads to atrophies that eventually end up deteriorating them completely.

For example, the most advanced cases of malnutrition may have little muscle mass in the heart, which brings as a consequence the risk of suffering from heart failure.

Thin and not very elastic skin

The lack of nutrients causes the skin to appear very dry and with little elasticity. The same applies to hair, which also dries out and falls out more easily.

Tiredness or irritability

People with malnutrition tend to show low energy and a continuous bad character. In young children, it can be a symptom of malnutrition that they cry constantly, with great intensity and for no apparent reason.

Poor ability to concentrate

The reduced intake of nutrients affects the cognitive development of people. For this reason, those who suffer from malnutrition have little facility to concentrate.

In children, this factor is especially serious, since it implies a significant delay in the development of the different skills that infants need to have full growth, such as learning new concepts, reading, writing, and abstraction, among others.

Types

The types of malnutrition can be categorized according to different elements. Below we will detail the most relevant classifications:

According to the deficiency suffered

Caloric malnutrition

It is also known as marasmus. This category includes the cases of people who eat little food in general.

Protein malnutrition

The cases that are included in this classification have a low level of protein intake and a high level of carbohydrate intake.

Among the consequences generated by this type of malnutrition are the bulging of the abdomen, little resistance to various infections and liver problems.

Mineral and vitamin deficiency

Those who suffer from this type of malnutrition have an underdeveloped immune system, which implies a greater risk of contracting diseases. Likewise, they show constant fatigue and little capacity for concentration and learning.

According to size and weight

Mild acute malnutrition

Although the weight of the individual is within normal parameters, the height is below the ideal according to his age.

Moderate acute malnutrition

In this case, affected individuals have a weight that is below ideal considering their height.

Severe acute malnutrition

Those suffering from severe acute malnutrition are at greater risk of dying. These are individuals whose body weight is at least 30% below ideal according to their age and height. Those affected by this type of malnutrition present obvious failures in muscles and organs of the body.

Chronic malnutrition

Chronic malnutrition is the most dangerous type of malnutrition of all that exist. This malnutrition is associated with the absence of elements such as iron, iodine, proteins, folic acid and vitamin A, among others, along with a very low consumption of drinking water.

According to the NGO Ayuda en Acción, chronic malnutrition affects 160 million children on the planet; of these, a large part lives in Asia and Africa.

The main effect of chronic malnutrition in children is a significant delay in their growth. This poor development is generated because the child has not received the necessary nutrients during its first years of life, and because it did not have enough nutrients when it was gestating within its mother.

Women with chronic malnutrition suffer worse consequences than men, since they have little development of the hips, which implies possible complications when giving birth. In addition, the evolution of the uterus of the affected ones presents abnormalities and they have a blood flow less than normal.

Malnutrition in Mexico

Data from The Hunger Project Mexico indicate that more than 23% of the Mexican population suffers from what has been called nutritional poverty; that is, they cannot afford the basic food basket.

On the other hand, those who suffer from chronic malnutrition in Mexico reach 12.5%. These people have been stunted as a result of the absence of key nutrients in their diet.

Another worrying figure presented by Unicef ​​indicates that 1 in 10 Mexican children under 5 years of age suffers from malnutrition. Some official bodies have stated that the way to prevent this disease is by concentrating on the quality and quantity of food that is provided to children in schools.

Among the proposals in this regard are to monitor what type of food is offered in schools considering its packaging and labeling, as well as to carry out a timely and permanent evaluation of the actions implemented.

Food waste

According to the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico and the World Bank, this country annually discards more than 20 million tons of food during the processes of production, transportation, storage and consumption.

This is a huge amount that could easily meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable adult and child populations.

Malnutrition in Colombia

Studies indicate that a quarter of Colombian children have what is called hidden malnutrition, which is evidenced in the deficiency of micronutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

These data correspond to the results of the 2015 National Survey of Nutritional Situation. Hidden malnutrition is especially reflected in vitamin A and zinc deficiency and in the presence of an anemic condition.

In Colombia, the most vulnerable populations are Afro-descendants, indigenous people and those who have limited economic resources.

However, current data indicates that in 2019 there has been a decrease in malnutrition in general of 34%; This was indicated by Juliana Pungiluppi, director of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare.

Need for timely care

Pungiluppi pointed out that one of the reasons why the death rates of malnourished children increase in Colombia has to do with the poor hospital situation in the country.

One of the proposals to improve is precisely to ally with friendly associations such as Unicef, in order to obtain the necessary resources to improve the health situation.

Other initiatives have also been promoted, such as the purification of water in the most vulnerable sectors. In fact, the company P&G Colombia developed a powder that makes up to 10 liters of water drinkable.

In addition to these timely actions, different representatives of Colombian society have emphasized the imperative need to improve water quality, so that all people have access.

Malnutrition in Argentina

Up to 41% of the children who are part of the most vulnerable populations in Argentina suffer from malnutrition. This was pointed out by the Cooperadora de la Nutrición Infantil (Conin) in a study that began in January 2019 and analyzed 2,290 people living in risk areas.

A very relevant piece of data from this study is that 35% of the children considered attend dining rooms, which implies that it is essential to review and adjust the quality of the food that these children eat outside their homes.

These data are expected to be the basis for planning community programs that seek to benefit both adults and children in affected areas.

FAO report

In 2019, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization published a report in which it indicated that between 2016 and 2018 there were 14.2 billion Argentines who suffer from food insecurity, as opposed to the 8.3 billion that were recorded between 2014 and 2016.

Francisco Yofre, who represents this organization in Argentina, expressed his concern by emphasizing that in this South American country food is produced for 400 million people. For him, the difficulty lies in the economic slowdown that the country experienced in 2019.

Malnutrition virtual map

In 2017 Conin presented a map of malnutrition in the Argentine territory thanks to the application of a tool called Azure. According to data from this foundation, in that year 5 children died daily as a result of malnutrition.

The creation of Azure was carried out together with the support of Microsoft technology and the idea was to have real-time information on the populations most affected by malnutrition, in order to execute the most pertinent actions in a timely manner.

Prior to this tool, the processing of the information obtained in a conventional way - through interviewers - could take between two and three months. Thanks to this new technology implemented, it is possible to obtain the data in just seconds and then process it much faster.

Malnutrition in Venezuela

Venezuela is going through its greatest crisis in all areas: political, economic, institutional, health and food. The economic collapse experienced in this country has led to a great shortage of food.

Susana Raffalli, a humanitarian leader who works hand in hand with Unicef ​​and the Red Cross, indicated that there are currently between 6 and 8 million Venezuelans suffering from malnutrition.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2013 6.4% of the Venezuelan population was undernourished. Between 2016 and 2018 this figure increased to 21.2% of the total inhabitants of the territory.

The government of Nicolás Maduro pointed out that there is no food available because other nations, especially the United States, have been in charge of stopping this flow. Even Maduro has categorically denied the existence of a food and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, but the figures from various investigations indicate just the opposite.

In fact, representatives from the diplomatic and migratory sphere indicated that hunger and malnutrition have been one of the main reasons that have led Venezuelans to move to other territories outside their own.

Worse situation in the provinces

Among the most vulnerable states is Zulia, located on the border with Colombia and where eight out of ten people say they cannot afford protein, so they cannot include it in their diet.

Added to this is a crisis in the electricity sector, which has left many Venezuelans without water or electricity. With no electricity, the refrigerators do not work; those who have the possibility to buy food cannot store it properly.

Various humanitarian organizations that make life in the country indicated that at this moment the consequences of malnutrition are already being perceived in the population. According to this research, the weight and height of Venezuelans have decreased and are well below the average for other similar populations.

According to experts in the area, at this point the damage is irreversible, and there is a large portion of the population that will have to receive medical attention throughout their lives as a result of the malnutrition to which they are currently exposed.

Malnutrition in Guatemala

Guatemala experiences deep inequality in the economic and social spheres, which creates the ideal scenario for the development of malnutrition in the most vulnerable populations. According to current figures, Guatemala is in sixth place on the list of countries with the highest rates of child malnutrition.

The populations most at risk are the rural ones, made up mainly of indigenous people. In these scenarios, malnutrition reaches up to 80% in children.

Unfavorable environmental situation

One of the reasons why malnutrition has increased corresponds to environmental conditions. For example, among the most vulnerable areas is the semi-arid region, located towards the east of the country.

There the land is not very fertile, there has been very little rainfall and the land where it is cultivated is in the mountains. This context has caused almost 50% of the corn crops to be discarded.

Little access to education: consequence and cause

Currently, access to education in Guatemala is increasingly limited, and several researchers have pointed out that this is both a consequence and a cause of malnutrition.

In other words, malnourished children are less likely to access schools since their cognitive development has been strongly affected.

At the same time, the fact that children cannot access schools implies in many cases the denial of the possibility of ingesting the food provided by canteens.

In addition, by not being educated about what a balanced food intake should be, future parents will not be able to attend to their children's feeding in the best possible way.

Institutional support

Unicef ​​carries out important work in Guatemala. For example, this organization annually provides full doses of vitamin A to children under the age of five.

It also participates in raising awareness about the necessary legislation and has directly supported the Nutritional Food Safety Program (Prosan), carried out by the Guatemalan Ministry of Health.

Malnutrition in Africa

The figures related to malnutrition in the African continent have been increasing for several decades. According to UN information, 257 million people in Africa are affected by the food crisis so far in 2019 (that is, one in five Africans).

Most of the undernourished population lives in sub-Saharan Africa, only 20 million of the 257 million affected live in North Africa.

In 2017 it was recorded that 20% of Africans were not receiving adequate nutrition. This and other data are indicative that Africa is the most vulnerable region in terms of malnutrition, ahead of any other region on the planet.

30% of children under 5 years of age are stunted; that is, 59 million children are shorter than ideal, considering their ages. Likewise, 7% of infants present low weight taking into account their height: it is about 14 million children.

A worrying figure is that of women who are of reproductive age and suffer from malnutrition. It is estimated that 30% of these women suffer from anemia, which in addition to directly affecting them, has negative consequences for the development of future babies.

Environmental problems

Representatives of the Economic Commission for Africa and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pointed out that climatic changes have had a strong influence on food shortages; Proof of this are the severe droughts that several African countries have suffered in recent years.

This situation is very unfavorable for Africans, as it implies that harvests of basic necessities will be limited. Obviously, food security in the region decreases considerably as a consequence of this scenario.

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