Malnutrition is defined as the “lack of proper nutrition caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.” Currently 12%, which is equal to 40 million people in the USA are malnourished and more than half, 26 million people, are also obese. If a person’s diet consists mostly of unhealthy foods, they will gain weight but their bodies still will not be getting the proper nutrition it needs.
Malnutrition can lead to serious long term healthy problems including:
The most at-risk population include the impoverished, elderly people, people living with disabilities, and the chronically ill. In celebration of National Malnutrition Awareness Week (September 18-22), please make a conscious effort to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.