BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuMalnutritionNutrition - inadequateMalnutrition is the condition that occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients. Causes There are many types of malnutrition, and they have different causes. Some causes include:Poor diet Starvation due to food not being available Eating disorders Problems with digesting food or absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption) Certain medical conditions that make a person unable to eat You may develop malnutrition if you lack a single vitamin in your diet. Lacking a vitamin or other nutrient is called a deficiency. Sometimes malnutrition is very mild and causes no symptoms. Other times it can be so severe that the damage it does to the body is permanent, even though you survive.Poverty, natural disasters, political problems, and war can all contribute to malnutrition and starvation, and not just in developing countries.Some health conditions that are related to malnutrition are:Malabsorption MalabsorptionMalabsorption involves problems with the body's ability to take in (absorb) nutrients from food.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Hunger HungerIncreased appetite means you have an excess desire for food.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Beriberi BeriberiBeriberi is a disease in which the body does not have enough thiamine (vitamin B1).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Binge eating Binge eatingBinge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which a person regularly eats unusually large amounts of food. During binge eating, the person also f...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin A Deficiency - Vitamin AVitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver. There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet. Preformed vitamin A is f...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Deficiency - Vitamin B1 (thiamine)Thiamin is one of the B vitamins. The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that are part of many of the chemical reactions in the body....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Deficiency - Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It is water soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftov...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Deficiency - Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water so the body cannot store them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leav...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B9 (folacin) Deficiency - Vitamin B9 (folacin)Folic acid and folate are both terms for a type of B vitamin (vitamin B9). Folate is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in foods such as green leafy v...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin E Deficiency - Vitamin EVitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. Your body stores vitamin E in fatty tissue and the liver.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin K Deficiency - Vitamin KVitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Your body stores vitamin K in the liver and other body tissues, including the brain, heart, pancreas, and bone....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Eating disorders Eating disordersBulimia is an eating disorder in which a person has regular episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kwashiorkor KwashiorkorKwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Megaloblastic anemia Pellagra PellagraPellagra is a disease that occurs when a person does not get enough niacin (one of the B complex vitamins) or tryptophan (an amino acid).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Rickets RicketsRickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. It leads to softening and weakening of the bones.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Scurvy ScurvyScurvy is a disease that occurs when you have a severe lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet. Scurvy causes general weakness, anemia, gum d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Spina bifidaSpina bifidaMyelomeningocele is a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close fully before birth. The condition is a type of neural tube de...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Malnutrition is a significant problem all over the world, especially among children. It is very harmful to children because it affects brain development and other growth. Children who suffer from malnutrition may have lifelong problems. Symptoms Symptoms of malnutrition vary and depend on its cause. General symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss. Exams and Tests Testing depends on the specific disorder. Most health care providers will do a nutritional assessment and blood work. Treatment Treatment most often consists of:Replacing missing nutrients Treating symptoms as needed Treating any underlying medical condition Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook depends on the cause of the malnutrition. Most nutritional deficiencies can be corrected. However, if malnutrition is caused by a medical condition, that illness has to be treated in order to reverse the nutritional deficiency. Possible Complications If untreated, malnutrition can lead to mental or physical disability, illness, and possibly death. When to Contact a Medical Professional Talk to your provider about the risk of malnutrition. Treatment is necessary if you or your child have any changes in the body's ability to function. Contact your provider if these symptoms develop:Fainting Lack of menstruation Lack of growth in children Rapid hair loss Prevention Eating a well-balanced diet helps to prevent most forms of malnutrition.Open ReferencesReferencesAshworth A. Nutrition, food security, and health. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier;2020:chap 57.Ziegler TR, Malnutrition: assessment and support. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 204.AllVideoImagesTogmyPlate - illustration The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide, called MyPlate, encourages consumers to make healthier food choices. The guide encourages you to make healthy choices and avoid oversized portions. Half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. You also should switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.myPlateillustrationmyPlate - illustration The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide, called MyPlate, encourages consumers to make healthier food choices. The guide encourages you to make healthy choices and avoid oversized portions. Half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. You also should switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.myPlateillustrationRelated Information Malabsorption(Condition)Appetite - increased(Symptoms)Beriberi(Condition)Binge eating disorder(Symptoms)Vitamin A(Nutrition)Thiamin(Nutrition)Riboflavin(Nutrition)Vitamin B6(Nutrition)Folic acid in diet(Nutrition)Vitamin E(Nutrition)Vitamins and Phytonutrients - InDepth(In-Depth)Eating disorders - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 4/27/2023 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. 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MalnutritionNutrition - inadequateMalnutrition is the condition that occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients. Causes There are many types of malnutrition, and they have different causes. Some causes include:Poor diet Starvation due to food not being available Eating disorders Problems with digesting food or absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption) Certain medical conditions that make a person unable to eat You may develop malnutrition if you lack a single vitamin in your diet. Lacking a vitamin or other nutrient is called a deficiency. Sometimes malnutrition is very mild and causes no symptoms. Other times it can be so severe that the damage it does to the body is permanent, even though you survive.Poverty, natural disasters, political problems, and war can all contribute to malnutrition and starvation, and not just in developing countries.Some health conditions that are related to malnutrition are:Malabsorption MalabsorptionMalabsorption involves problems with the body's ability to take in (absorb) nutrients from food.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Hunger HungerIncreased appetite means you have an excess desire for food.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Beriberi BeriberiBeriberi is a disease in which the body does not have enough thiamine (vitamin B1).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Binge eating Binge eatingBinge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which a person regularly eats unusually large amounts of food. During binge eating, the person also f...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin A Deficiency - Vitamin AVitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver. There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet. Preformed vitamin A is f...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Deficiency - Vitamin B1 (thiamine)Thiamin is one of the B vitamins. The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that are part of many of the chemical reactions in the body....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Deficiency - Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It is water soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftov...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Deficiency - Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water so the body cannot store them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leav...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin B9 (folacin) Deficiency - Vitamin B9 (folacin)Folic acid and folate are both terms for a type of B vitamin (vitamin B9). Folate is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in foods such as green leafy v...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin E Deficiency - Vitamin EVitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. Your body stores vitamin E in fatty tissue and the liver.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Deficiency - Vitamin K Deficiency - Vitamin KVitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Your body stores vitamin K in the liver and other body tissues, including the brain, heart, pancreas, and bone....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Eating disorders Eating disordersBulimia is an eating disorder in which a person has regular episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kwashiorkor KwashiorkorKwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Megaloblastic anemia Pellagra PellagraPellagra is a disease that occurs when a person does not get enough niacin (one of the B complex vitamins) or tryptophan (an amino acid).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Rickets RicketsRickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. It leads to softening and weakening of the bones.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Scurvy ScurvyScurvy is a disease that occurs when you have a severe lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet. Scurvy causes general weakness, anemia, gum d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Spina bifidaSpina bifidaMyelomeningocele is a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close fully before birth. The condition is a type of neural tube de...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Malnutrition is a significant problem all over the world, especially among children. It is very harmful to children because it affects brain development and other growth. Children who suffer from malnutrition may have lifelong problems. Symptoms Symptoms of malnutrition vary and depend on its cause. General symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss. Exams and Tests Testing depends on the specific disorder. Most health care providers will do a nutritional assessment and blood work. Treatment Treatment most often consists of:Replacing missing nutrients Treating symptoms as needed Treating any underlying medical condition Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook depends on the cause of the malnutrition. Most nutritional deficiencies can be corrected. However, if malnutrition is caused by a medical condition, that illness has to be treated in order to reverse the nutritional deficiency. Possible Complications If untreated, malnutrition can lead to mental or physical disability, illness, and possibly death. When to Contact a Medical Professional Talk to your provider about the risk of malnutrition. Treatment is necessary if you or your child have any changes in the body's ability to function. Contact your provider if these symptoms develop:Fainting Lack of menstruation Lack of growth in children Rapid hair loss Prevention Eating a well-balanced diet helps to prevent most forms of malnutrition.Open ReferencesReferencesAshworth A. Nutrition, food security, and health. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier;2020:chap 57.Ziegler TR, Malnutrition: assessment and support. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 204.