Malnutrition and obesity

What’s that on your plate, Leon? It’s my lunch! I’ve got some French fries, 2 hot dogs, fried onion rings, and a chocolate donut for dessert! Yumm!! Hm, this lunch sounds delicious, but how nutritious is it?

The food we eat contains nutrients from six main groups: carbohydrates, fats and other lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. To function properly, our bodies need all these types of nutrients in the right amounts. Sometimes a person doesn’t eat enough food, or the food they eat is of bad quality and poor in nutrients. If this goes on for a longer period of time, it will result in MALNUTRITION. Malnutrition happens for a variety of reasons.

It is most common in areas where access to different types of food is limited, or where people can’t afford to eat a varied diet. But even in regions where food is widely available and affordable, malnutrition might occur because of poor dietary choices. Even if your diet includes most of the essential nutrients, the level of one or more nutrients in your body can sometimes fall below normal. This is called NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY. Prolonged deficiency of different nutrients might lead to various conditions and disorders.

For example, if a person doesn’t eat meat, dairy products, or plants that are sources of protein, they might not get enough protein through their diet. They will experience protein deficiency. Protein deficiency can lead to impaired growth and development, infections, and diseases like kwashiorkor or marasmus. Minerals such as iodine, calcium, and iron are other very important nutrients. In children, iodine deficiency can cause impaired development and mental disabilities, and in adults it can result in malfunctioning of an important organ located in the neck called the thyroid gland.

Lack of calcium weakens the bones and teeth, and if a person suffers from iron deficiency, the blood can’t distribute oxygen properly in their body, which leads to a condition called anaemia. Vitamin deficiencies can also have serious consequences. Lack of vitamin A makes it difficult for a person to see in low light, which we call night blindness. Lack of vitamins from the B group might cause weakening of muscles, problems with the nervous system, or even depression. Deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a disease called scurvy, and symptoms like bleeding from the gums, loosening of the teeth, and problems with the healing of wounds.

Vitamin D helps the body to absorb minerals like calcium, and lack of it might result in problems with teeth and bones. It can also happen that the amount of energy and nutrients a person consumes is too high. If this amount is continuously higher than what is needed for normal functioning of the body, this is also considered a type of malnutrition: OVERNUTRITION. Overnutrition can result in disorders such as obesity or being overweight. It can also lead to other health problems, such as diabetes, heart attack, stroke, or high blood pressure.

Overnutrition is a big problem in countries where food is easily available, but often highly processed. Such food usually contains very little vitamins and minerals, but is rich in lipids, and carbohydrates. Just like your hot dogs and donuts, Leon! Maybe you could add some vegetables to your lunch to make it healthier and more nutritious? - I know! All it needs is… ketchup!