Chapter 16: Undernutrition

Discuss the consequences of undernutrition during older adulthood

- Fixed income may limit food budget - Decreased energy requirements, but micronutrient needs are still high - difficult to obtain enough nutrients. - Depression, social isolation, physical and mental impairments may negatively impact food intake

Discuss the effects of undernutrition

- In the early stages of nutrient deficiencies, the ability to work, learn, reproduce, and recover from illnesses or injuries is slightly impaired. It may take weeks or months before the identifiable physical symptoms are observable. - Within a population, when some people develop full-blown, clinical nutrient deficiencies, this is usually a sign that many more people in the population have subclinical deficiencies. - Understand the inter-relatedness of poverty, undernutrition, and immune function.

Describe the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide

- The most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide is iron deficiency. - The most common cause of preventable blindness worldwide is vitamin A deficiency.

Where is the highest prevalence of undernutrition in the world

Asian and Sub-Saharan African regions of the world

Discuss the consequences of undernutrition during childhood (first 1000 days = conception to 2 years of age)

Central nervous system is highly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies; deficits will have lifetime impact Stunted growth Impaired immune function - High risk for diarrheal disease - Diarrheal disease further decreases nutrient absorption Iron-deficiency anemia is very common among toddlers - Reduced stamina - Cognitive deficits - Behavioral problems

Food Insecurity

Condition in which quality, variety, and/or desirability of the diet is reduced; there is sometimes difficulty providing enough food for everyone in the household

Undernutrition

Dietary intake does not meet nutritional needs

Overnutrition

Dietary intake exceeds nutritional needs

Malnutrition

Failing health that results from longstanding dietary practices that do not coincide with nutritional needs; encompasses both undernutrition and overnutrition

Discuss the consequences of undernutrition during gestation/infancy

Maternal nutrient deficiencies increase risk of preterm birth, low birth weight - Reduced lung function - Impaired immunity - Infant mortality Teenage pregnancies increase risks because mother is more likely to have poor diet and she is still growing, so he body competes with the fetus for nutrients.

Subclinical Deficiency

Nutrient stores are depleted, biochemical functions of nutrients may be impaired, but observable symptoms are not yet apparent

Clinical Deficiency

Physical symptoms of nutrient deficiency are apparent

Hunger

Physiological drive to find and eat food; results when not enough food is eaten to meet energy needs

Where do we see undernutrition in the United States?

Poverty, homelessness - Divorce - Death - Disease - Downsized - Disabled - Disasters - Debt Lack of access to healthy foods - Food desert: an area where 33% or 500 people, whichever is less, live more than a mile from a grocery store in an urban area or more than 10 miles away in a rural area Eating disorders Alcohol abuse disorders Hospitals, long-term care facilities (effects of diseases, medical procedures, or feeding problems.

Nutrition Security

Secure access to a nutritious diet coupled with a sanitary environment and adequate health services and care

What are the most common forms of malnutrition in the United States?

The most common form of malnutrition is actually overnutrition. Two-thirds of adults and one third of children in the United States are overweight or obese due to energy intake that exceeds energy needs.

Discuss the consequences of undernutrition during pregnancies

Undernutrition poses the greatest health risk during pregnancy. Closely-spaced pregnancies give little time to replenish maternal nutrient stores - Iron - Folate - Calcium depletion