Deficiency Disease

A Deficiency Disease is a medical condition that ...

• Context:
  • It can be associated with Malnutrition.
  • …
• Example(s):
  • Scurvy.
  • …
• See: Diet (Nutrition), Nutrient, Malabsorption, Breastfeed, Gastroenteritis, Pneumonia, Malaria.

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References

2021

• (Wikipedia, 2021) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition Retrieved:2021-12-4.
  • Malnutrition is a condition that results from eating a diet which does not supply a healthy amount of one or more nutrients. This includes diets that have too little nutrients or so many that the diet causes health problems. The nutrients involved can include calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins or minerals. A lack of nutrients is called undernutrition, including stunting, wasting, and underweight while a surplus of nutrients cases overnutrition, including overweight and obesity. Malnutrition also can refer to micronutrient malnutrition, including a lack of or excess of important vitamins and minerals. Undernutrition occurs when an individual is not getting enough calories, protein, or micronutrients. If undernutrition occurs during pregnancy, or before two years of age, it may result in permanent problems with physical and mental development. Extreme undernutrition, known as starvation, chronic hunger, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) may have symptoms that include: a short height, thin body, very poor energy levels, and swollen legs and abdomen (edema). Those who are undernourished often get infections and are frequently cold. The symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies depend on the micronutrient that is lacking. Overnutrition can result from excess nutrient intake or low energy expenditure, and is linked to chronic non-communicable diseases.

    Undernutrition is most often due to a lack of access to high-quality, nutritous food. This is often related to high food prices and poverty. A lack of breastfeeding may contribute to undernourishment in infants. Infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis, pneumonia, malaria, and measles, which increase nutrient requirements, can also cause malnutrition. There are two main types of undernutrition: protein-energy malnutrition and dietary deficiencies. Protein-energy malnutrition has two severe forms: kwashiorkor (a lack of protein) and marasmus (a lack of protein and calories). Common micronutrient deficiencies include a lack of iron, iodine, and vitamin A. Deficiencies may become more common during pregnancy, due to the body's increased need of nutrients. In some developing countries, overnutrition, in the form of obesity is beginning to appear within the same communities as undernutrition. This is because the food that is often available is not healthy. Other causes of malnutrition include anorexia nervosa and bariatric surgery. Overnutrition is when a person is too heavy for his or her height. Overweight is measured by a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, whereas obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or more. Overnutrition can result from consuming too much energy or expending too little energy, or both. Diseases that can result from overnutrition include diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, and diabetes. Micronutrient malnutrition is when an individual's intake of vitamins and minerals is inadequate. Deficiencies in iodine, vitamin A, and iron are the most common global public health terms. Anemia, which is most commonly caused by iron deficiency but also caused by other micronutrient deficiencies and diseases, can have major health consequences. Children and pregnant women in low income countries are at risk for deficiencies in these micronutrients. It is possible to have overnutrition simultaneously with micronutrient deficiencies; this condition is termed the double burden of malnutrition. Efforts to improve nutrition are some of the common forms of development aid. Breastfeeding is often promoted, in order to reduce rates of malnutrition and death in children, and some efforts to promote the practice have been successful. In young children, providing complementary food (in addition to breastmilk) between six months and two years of age improves outcomes. There is also good evidence supporting the supplementation of a number of micronutrients to women during pregnancy and young children in the developing world. Sending food and money is a common form of development aid, aimed at helping people in need to obtain food. Some strategies help people buy food within local markets. Simply feeding students at school is insufficient. Management of severe malnutrition within the person's home with ready-to-use therapeutic foods is possible much of the time. In those who have severe malnutrition complicated by other health problems, treatment in a hospital setting is recommended. This often involves managing low blood sugar and body temperature, addressing dehydration, and gradual feeding. Routine antibiotics are usually recommended due to the high risk of infection. Longer-term measures include: improving agricultural practices, reducing poverty and improving sanitation. It is estimated that nearly one in three persons globally suffers from at least one form of malnutrition: wasting, stunting, vitamin and mineral deficiency, overweight or obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. In 2020, 149 million children under 5 years old were stunted, 45 million were wasted, and 38.9 million were overweight or obese. Further, 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, and 462 million adults are underweight as of June 2021. Globally, two billion people had iodine deficiency in 2017. In 2020, 900 million women and children suffered from anemia, which is often caused by iron deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency affects one-third of children under age 5 around the world, World Health Organization, Global prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in populations at risk 1995–2005, WHO global database on vitamin A deficiency. </ref> leading to 670,000 deaths and 250,000–500,000 cases of blindness. Currently in 2021, about 45% of deaths in children are believed to be linked to undernutrition. Undernutrition is more common in developing countries. Certain groups have higher rates of undernutrition, including women—in particular while pregnant or breastfeeding—children under five years of age, and the elderly. In the elderly, undernutrition is more commonly due to physical, psychological, and social factors, not a lack of food. There has been an increase of hunger since 2015, when about 795 million, or 10.6%, had undernutrition. The Global Nutrition Report found that one in nine of the world's population—or 820 million people worldwide—was hungry in 2020. These increases are partially related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which continues to highlight the weaknesses of current food and health systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to food insecurity and increasing hunger worldwide while also contributing to increases in overweight and obesity due to lower physical activity related to lockdown. Experts estimate that the prevalence of moderate and severe wasting could increase by 14% due to COVID-19, and coupled with reductions in nutrition and health services coverage, could result in over 128,000 additional deaths among children under 5 in 2020 alone. Reducing malnutrition is key part of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) "Zero hunger" with a malnutrition target alongside reducing under nutrition and stunted child growth. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) 135 million suffer from acute hunger, largely due to manmade conflicts, climate changes, and economic downturns. COVID-19 could double the number of people at risk of suffering acute hunger by the end of 2020.

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