P1 Unit 21 - Health and Social Care Level 3 Essay

BMI provides some indication as to the patient’s nutritional status. A low BMI is associated with inadequate nutritional intake; this occurs when there is a deficiency or imbalance in the nutrients consumed, which can lead to malnutrition. (Lennard-Jones,1992). However some patients may have a normal or high BMI and be classed as malnourished. This can be because they have a low intake of nutrients such as vitamins and protein, or because they may be consuming the wrong type of foods (Ward and Rollins, 1999).

Malnutrition is a growing problem in the world. According to Medical News Today, malnutrition can include many things such as undernutrition and even overnutrition. Undernutrition can include not getting enough nutrients and calories in the diet, which can diminish a person’s growth and ability to fight off diseases. Overnutrition is the opposite where too many calories are consumed leading to an imbalance of nutrients in the diet and can also cause some health effects such as obesity. If certain nutrients are missing in the diet or if too many nutrients are in the diet, it can affect nutrition and how the body functions.

Malnutrition is serious and a health problem. Your health is what keeps your body strong enough to fight any colds and help you stay alive. If your body is unhealthy, then you have bigger chances of becoming ill. Not having enough food will give you headaches, make you throw up, become thinner, and eventually become sick and close to death.

When your body does not get enough nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals, it is known as malnutrition. Malnutrition is especially harmful in seniors who have specific dietary requirements due to medical complications such as heart disease or diabetes. Seniors suffering from dementia are at a particular risk of malnutrition.

Malnutrition is when the body doesn’t receive enough nutrients for proper function. Undernutrition is when one’s body could be underweight, too short for their age, or excessively thin and “receiving fewer calories than the minimum dietary energy requirement” (Withcott & Laposata, 2012). Overnutrition is a form of malnutrition but comes from eating too much, eating junk, lack of physical activities or just eating the wrong foods and the intake too many supplements. “Overnutrition leads to unhealthy weight gain, which leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems” (Withcott & Laposata, 2012). One is of the opinion that overnutrition is the most common in the United States. In our textbook by Withcott & Laposata, in the

Many people worldwide are susceptible to malnutrition due to food insecurity, instability, and inaccessibility. Malnutrition, or the failure to meet daily nutritional requirements, affects more than one-third of the child population in the world; also nearly 30% of the population of all ages in the developing world, considering malnutrition (commonly under nutrition) severely damaging. Malnutrition is an effect of lack of hygiene, food instability, political inconsistency, weak health care, economic fluctuation, and any other demeaning factors at the communal degree (Kumar). Malnutrition spikes a growth stunt in most children who are affected by it. It causes slowed growth, lack of development, and low immunity. Malnutrition goes hand in hand with poverty all around the world: the fact that families are living off of less than somewhere between one dollar to three means that they are more likely to meet the daily nutritional requirements (calories, vitamins, etc). In sub-Saharan Africa, malnutrition can be passed down by generation, especially if young girls end up being mothers to dangerously underweight babies that—even though they are considered alive—fail to thrive. Malnutrition can often lead to cases of micronutrient deficiency. For example, if a person

The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as "the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions(4).

Nutrition is the process of providing the cells of the body with necessary materials for health and growth. These materials allow the cells to regenerate, restore, and support life.

Malnutrition and undernutrition may cause remarkable complications in brain development, physical growth, and greater susceptibility to a prolonged infection and disease.

If a child does not have enough nutrients in their diet, they may suffer from limited growth and even problems with their ability to learn. Some children, who are lacking the vital nutrients they need, may experience fatigue and be more likely to become sick.

Malnutrition as defined by Groark & Song (2012) is a state of nutritional imbalance most often related to undernutrition. They go on to explain that malnutrition is both when a child is eating too little or too much and not getting essential nutrients in early childhood, which can lead to obesity (Groark & Song, 2012). The short term effects of malnutrition are more noticeable in early childhood education settings in the form of behavioral and mental health issues. A poorly nourished child may become disruptive or extremely withdrawn in the school setting, which can negatively affect their learning as well as the learning of their classmates (Groark & Song, 2012). Micronutrient deficiency is a major effect of malnutrition. Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is associated with poor mental and motor development, poor cognition and school achievement (Prado, & Dewey, 2014). The long term effects of malnutrition become more evident later on in childhood. These effects manifest themselves more in the child’s physical and cognitive development. One of the major effects of malnutrition is childhood obesity. Obesity, if untreated, is known to lead to serious health problem later in life affecting the physical, cognitive and affect development of children and adults. Another significant effect of malnutrition is growth failure, as defined by Groark & Song (2012) describes a growth pattern that is abnormal and is the result of taking in too few calories. Children who suffer from growth

If children are subjected to inadequate nutrients during feedings or cannot absorb the food that they eat, they will experience malnutrition. The lack of energy in the body makes it unable to maintain a normal metabolic rate. The child can experience weight loss, growth stagnation, muscle atrophy and other problems. Malnutrition often happens to children who are less than three years old. The period between birth and three years requires a sufficient supply of nutrients that are also easier to digest and absorb. If the intake of nutrients cannot meet the growth and development needs, it will lead to malnutrition. Even mild malnutrition is enough to affect normal growth. Children who experience it will often have a low weight and a lack of muscle

The Gerontological Society of America states that malnutrition can occur due to socioeconomic factors, including:

Nutrition is an important aspect for the health and wellbeing of all people especially the elderly because it affects their aging process. Malnutrition is affecting many of the older population. Older people most commonly have reduced appetite and reduced energy expenditure which is added to many other physiological changes that occur at their age group. Malnutrition is a major issue in older people and its rates is increasing as time passes. Many old people are classed as malnourished and are attended to hospitals. Malnutrition especially in this population is often underdiagnosed and this is exactly why Nutritional Assessment is very important in order to identify and treat patients that are at risk. Undernourishment can cause many health problems that could easily be prevented with the proper nutrition. Malnutrition can be reversed if it was addressed early.

(Hennie Swanepoel and Frik De Beer,Introduction to Development studies 1st Edition1997)”mentioned that malnutrition has a number of serious effects on human beings and their ability to live a productive life. There are different types of malnutrition. There are direct effects and indirect effects that influence the health of the people. Direct effects are Protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, iodine deficiency and Anaemia and indirect effects is mortality from other diseases attributed to mild or moderate underweight and mortality from other diseases attributed to vitamin A deficiency. (Regan C 80:20 development in an unequal world :) mentioned that malnourishment and undernourishment can affect people for their entire lives. A malnourished individual may grow up with physical or cognitive disabilities and face a life of hardship assaults such disabilities also have a debilitating affect upon a country’s workforce and subsequently its economic productivity. Malnourishment and undernourished has made a very bad impact in our country. For example: from the previous years there are parents who never took their kids for immunisation and also they never give them a proper