Malnutrition can be caused by both under-nutrition and over-nutrition, resulting in nutritional disorders. Under-nutrition can cause protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and specific deficiency diseases like beriberi, pellagra, rickets, and anemia. Over-nutrition can cause obesity. Malnutrition has wide-ranging consequences and is both caused by and exacerbates poverty. Prevention strategies include improving agricultural production, educating people, food fortification, genetic engineering of crops, and government assistance programs.

1. Malnutrition- Consequences, Causes,
Prevention and Control
Prof. Harshraj. S. Shinde
K. K. Wagh College of Agril. Biotech, Nashik. India

2. Introduction
• Malnutrition is defined as imbalance between the body’s need
and the intake of nutrients, which can lead to nutritional
disorders.
• So intake of nutrients in proper amount is needed

3. Types of Malnutrition
• Malnutrition is divided into two main types
1. Under-nutrition
2. Over-nutrition
In under-nutrition nutrients are undersupplied,
and in over-nutrition nutrients are over supplied both
causes nutritional disorders.

4. Causes of Malnutrition

7. Disorders due to Malnutrition
 Protein-energy malnutrition
 Under nutrition of vitamins and minerals
 Obesity
 Kwashiorkor
 Marasmus

8. Under nutrition of vitamins and minerals
Under nutrition of minerals
• Calcium
– Rickets
• Iodine deficiency
– Goiter
• Iron deficiency
– Anemia
• Zinc
– Growth retardation
Under nutrition of vitamins
• Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
– Beriberi
• Niacin (Vitamin B3)
– Pellagra
• Vitamin C
– Scurvy
• Vitamin D
– Rickets

9. Kwashiorkor
 Between 1-3 years old childrens
Etiology:
• Very low protein but w/calories from CHO
• In places where starchy foods are main staple
• Never exclusively dietary
Symptoms
1. Edema
2. Muscle wasting
3. Hair changes
4. Depigmentation of skin
5. Moonface

10. Marasmus
 Common in the 1st year of life
Etiology:
 “Balanced starvation”
 Insufficient breast milk
 Dilute milk mixture or lack of hygiene
 Symptoms:
1. Muscle wasting
2. Growth retardation
3. Mental changes
4. No edema
5. Variable-subnormal temp,
6. Often diarrhea

11. Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Deficiency Beriberi
Biochemically, there is accumulation of pyruvic and lactic acid in body
fluids causing:
1. Cardiac dysfunction such as cardiac enlargement esp right side, edema of
interstitial tissue.
2. Degeneration of myelin & of axon cylinders resulting in peripheral
neuropathy and
3. weakness of eye movement, ataxia of gait and mental disturbance

12. Thiamine Deficiency (Beriberi)
Two forms:
1. Wet beriberi: generalized edema, acute cardiac symptoms and
prompt response to thiamine administration
2. Dry beriberi: edema not present and neurological

13. Thiamine Deficiency (Beriberi)

14. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Deficiency
Functions:
1. Acts as coenzyme of flavoprotein important in a. a., f. a. &
CHO metabolism & cellular respiration
2. Needed also by retinal eye pigments for light adaptation

15. Riboflavin Deficiency

16. Niacin (Vitamin B3) Deficiency Pellagra
Etiology:
1. Diets low in niacin &/or tryptophan
2. Amino acid imbalance or as a result of malabsorption
3. Excessive corn consumption
Symptoms
1. weakness, irritability & dizziness
2. dermatitis, diarrhea & dementia
3. Dermatitis may develop insidiously to sunlight or heat
a. First appears as symmetrical erythema
b. Followed by drying, scaling & pigmentation w/ vesicles & bullae at times
4. diarrhea, Mental changes include depression, irritability,

17. Niacin Deficiency (Pellagra)

18. Goiter
• A goiter is a swelling of the neck resulting from enlargement of the thyroid
gland, associated with a thyroid gland that is functioning properly or not.
• Causes due to iodine deficiency

19. Anemia
• Iron-deficiency anemia is a common anemia caused by insufficient dietary
intake and absorption of iron, and/or iron loss from bleeding which can
originate from a range of sources such as the intestinal, uterine or urinary
tract.
• Iron deficiency causes approximately half of all anemia cases worldwide,
and affects women more often than men.
This can result if:
• The body does not make enough red blood cells
• Bleeding causes loss of red blood cells more quickly than they can be
replaced

20. Rickets
• Rickets is a softening of bones in immature mammals due to deficiency or
impaired metabolism of vitamin D, phosphorus or calcium.
• Rickets is among the most frequent childhood diseases in many developing
countries.
• The predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but lack of
adequate calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets (cases of severe
diarrhea and vomiting may be the cause of the deficiency).

21. Prevention of malnutrition
• Use of modern agricultural techniques to increase the
agricultural production
• Proper education to peoples regarding importance of food
• Enrichment of food
• Fortification of food
• Genetic engineering for the development of new varieties eg-
golden rice

22. Cont…
• Government projects to provide healthy food to infants and
pregnant woman
• Staple food should available at very cheap rate
• Common people should adopt rotation in food
• Use of probiotic microorganism in food
• Global public health and disease control measures.