Malnutrition in Children

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INTRODUCTION This paper is presented on Malnutrition, where the most prevalent forms of malnutrition are indentify in childhood and adults, also discussions will include the factors which contribute to malnutrition in children, adults and elderly individuals, the treatment approach and description of individuals with malnutrition along with the impact of large scale malnutrition on health and national development. However, in order to complete this paper we must first know what Malnutrition is. Malnutrition is a condition in which an individual has insufficient energy to maintain their body's essential functions, including growth, maintenance and movement. It is defined by the British National Institute for Clinical Excellence as "a state in which a deficiency of energy, protein and/or other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on tissue/body form, composition, function or clinical outcome." As the definition suggests, malnutrition can be further classified as either protein-energy/protein-calorie malnutrition (i.e. a deficiency in protein energy), or micronutrient deficiency (i.e. a deficiency in one or more micronutrients), depending on the specific nature of the nutritional intake/expenditure imbalance. These two sub-types of malnutrition commonly coexist. Regardless of the type, malnutrition may be a consequence of primary or secondary malnutrition, or both. Primary malnutrition refers to malnutrition which is caused by inadequate energy intake. This condition often occurs in relation to food insecurity or when adequate food is not available (in terms of total calories or specific micronutrients). It can also result from poor appetite due to illness or eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Secondary malnutrition arises when an individual's dietary intake is sufficient, but energy is not adequately absorbed by the body as a result of

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