Malnutrition – Symptoms (2024)

FAQs

Malnutrition – Symptoms? ›

Malnutrition Warning Signs

Lack of muscle mass. Swollen stomach (called Kwashiorkor) Fatigue and low energy levels. Lack of growth and low body weight (in children)

Malnutrition Warning Signs

Lack of muscle mass. Swollen stomach (called Kwashiorkor) Fatigue and low energy levels. Lack of growth and low body weight (in children)

Dietary changes and supplements

having a healthier, more balanced diet. eating "fortified" foods that contain extra nutrients. snacking between meals. having drinks that contain lots of calories.

unintentional weight loss – losing 5% to 10% or more of weight over 3 to 6 months is one of the main signs of malnutrition.

The upside is, that you will get better and recover well if you follow the expert advice of your healthcare professional and have a cheer squad of family and friends around you providing ongoing support and encouragement. Who knows, perhaps you will feel even better than you did before your malnutrition diagnosis.

The power of water

When a child suffers from intestinal worms or diarrhea, nutrients are not absorbed and do not make it to where they need to be in the body. That's why, worldwide, hunger and malnutrition are linked to a lack of safe water and sanitation.

Shakes, such as Boost or Ensure, are intended for oral consumption. You can find them on a grocery store shelf. These are formulated to help you meet general nutrition goals such as increased calories and protein. Some nutrition shakes are designed to be compatible with health conditions such as diabetes (Glucerna).

How do I know if my body is in starvation mode? ›

Nearly half of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. These mostly occur in low- and middle-income countries.

under 18.5kg/m² – you are considered underweight and possibly malnourished. 18.5 to 24.9kg/m² – you are within a healthy weight range for young and middle-aged adults. 25.0 to 29.9kg/m² – you are considered overweight.

The end-stage of starvation usually brings with it one of two different diseases - kwashiorkor and marasmus. Marasmus happens due to extreme energy deficiency, often from inadequate amounts of calories and protein. The person's body weight reaches dangerously low levels and infections are common.

What happens to the body during starvation? The body runs on the energy provided by the calories in the food we eat. When you stop eating, your body starts to break down its own tissues for food, disrupting all the vital processes of your systems. This results in severe weight loss and leads to organ failure.

If untreated, malnutrition can lead to mental or physical disability, illness, and possibly death.

The indicators stunting, wasting, overweight and underweight are used to measure nutritional imbalance; such imbalance results in either undernutrition (assessed from stunting, wasting and underweight) or overweight.

Clinical signs and symptoms of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) include the following: Poor weight gain. Slowing of linear growth. Behavioral changes - Irritability, apathy, decreased social responsiveness, anxiety, and attention deficits.

Undernutrition may look like: Low body weight, prominent bones, depleted fat and muscle. Thin arms and legs with edema (swelling with fluid) in your belly and face. Stunted growth and intellectual development in children.