What is malnutrition?

Malnutrition is a major health issue in the world.

There are 3 forms of malnutrition:

• Undernourishment is when a person does not eat enough. Undernourishment harms physical and cerebral development and can lead to the premature death of babies and children.
• Overeating is when a person eats too much. This can be seen in many Westernised societies.
• An imbalanced diet occurs when certain food groups are excluded or are not present in sufficient quantities. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

An example of nutritional deficiency

Iron deficiency is very common throughout the world; around two billion people suffer from it. Meat and fish are good sources of iron. Vegetables may contain substantial amounts of iron, but the body does not absorb this iron as efficiently.