Types of Malnutrition
There are two main types of malnutrition which affect a great percent of the total population world wide. These two types are undernutrition and obesity which differently affect a person including children and relay under the category of the most deaths caused by these problems of malnutrition.
Undernutrition
Undernutrition is when people do not have enough to eat or because of medical problems they cannot absorb the sufficient nutrients that are needed for maintain a healthy immune system, growth, development, and energy. Micronutrient deficiencies is a category of undernutrition that occurs when the body does not have one or more of the micronutrients (iron,iodine,zinc,vitamin A or folate) needed for a proper development and growth. These deficiencies affect the person´s health, but they also can create severe medical conditions such as as anaemia (iron deficiency), hypothyroidism (iodine deficiency) or xerophthalmia (vitamin A deficiency).
Causes of Malnutrition
The causes of Undernutrition can be divided into three categories: immediate, underlying, and basic.
Immediate causes:
Poor diets, not enough food, density of nutrients or variety, insufficient breastmilk, eaten infrequently.
Measles, hookworms, gut parasites, diseases, HIV/AIDS, diarrgoea, respiratory track infections or ear infections.
Underlying causes:
Family food insecurity
Inadequate care of sharing the food within family members
Inadequate health services
Unhygienic living conditions
Basic causes:
War
Political and economic insecurity
Poverty
Lack of resources
Infections increase the vulnerability of having Undernutrition because ill people tend to eat less, loose nutrients, and do not absorb all the nutrients required. Undernutrition makes infections worse because the body lacks nutrients (anti-oxidants) so the body has to force to maintain immunity.
Immediate causes:
Poor diets, not enough food, density of nutrients or variety, insufficient breastmilk, eaten infrequently.
Measles, hookworms, gut parasites, diseases, HIV/AIDS, diarrgoea, respiratory track infections or ear infections.
Underlying causes:
Family food insecurity
Inadequate care of sharing the food within family members
Inadequate health services
Unhygienic living conditions
Basic causes:
War
Political and economic insecurity
Poverty
Lack of resources
Infections increase the vulnerability of having Undernutrition because ill people tend to eat less, loose nutrients, and do not absorb all the nutrients required. Undernutrition makes infections worse because the body lacks nutrients (anti-oxidants) so the body has to force to maintain immunity.
Obesity
Obesity is an excess of the body fat. A person is consider obese when the weight of his/her body is above 20% or more of the person normal weight. The measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI) which tells the person the normal body mass index depending on age, gender, height etc..
A person is overweighed when the BMI is between 25 and 29.9 and a person is consider obese if the BMI is over 30. In the other hand, morbid obesity is that a person is from 50% to 100% over the normal weight and these problems increases the risk of having medical problems including cardiovascular diseases.
A person is overweighed when the BMI is between 25 and 29.9 and a person is consider obese if the BMI is over 30. In the other hand, morbid obesity is that a person is from 50% to 100% over the normal weight and these problems increases the risk of having medical problems including cardiovascular diseases.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity is when a person consumes more calories than the ones he or she burns. Some people occur because they eat too much and exercise too little, but there are other causes that increase the risk of having obesity.
These may include:
Medication: certain medicines such as antidepressants may cause weight gain.
Illness: they are not very common, but there can be some illness that can cause obesity, such as hormone problems, brain diseases, and poorly acting thyroid.
Psychological factors: are eating habits. Many people eat in response to emotions and these people have to deal with emotional issues and they see food as an escape.
Physical activity: people that exercise need more food than the ones that the ones that do not exercise too much.
Environmental factors: a person´s environment plays a significant role in the causes of obesity, these factors include lifestyle behaviors.
Genetics: studies have shown that women tend to be more overweight than men. Men have a higher metabolic rate, so men need more calories to maintain their body weight.
Age: as a person gets older. The body´s ability to metabolize food slows down and do not require as many calories to maintain your weight.
Having obesity can increase the risk of having diabetes, strokes, cancer, heart disease, and more cardiovascular problems.
These may include:
Medication: certain medicines such as antidepressants may cause weight gain.
Illness: they are not very common, but there can be some illness that can cause obesity, such as hormone problems, brain diseases, and poorly acting thyroid.
Psychological factors: are eating habits. Many people eat in response to emotions and these people have to deal with emotional issues and they see food as an escape.
Physical activity: people that exercise need more food than the ones that the ones that do not exercise too much.
Environmental factors: a person´s environment plays a significant role in the causes of obesity, these factors include lifestyle behaviors.
Genetics: studies have shown that women tend to be more overweight than men. Men have a higher metabolic rate, so men need more calories to maintain their body weight.
Age: as a person gets older. The body´s ability to metabolize food slows down and do not require as many calories to maintain your weight.
Having obesity can increase the risk of having diabetes, strokes, cancer, heart disease, and more cardiovascular problems.