Malnutrition

Malnutrition means poor nutrition. Most often it happens when you don't eat enough (this is called undernutrition). It can also happen when you don't eat enough of the right foods to give your body the nutrients it needs.

A balanced diet should give you enough nutrients to stay healthy. Examples of nutrients are:

• calories
• protein
• vitamins

If your diet lacks these, you may not get all the nutrients your body needs, and this can lead to malnutrition.

Malnutrition can be hard to recognise. It often comes on very slowly, so in the early stages it's easy to miss.

These are the common signs and symptoms of malnutrition:

• loss of appetite and no interest in food or fluids
• unplanned weight loss (you might notice that clothes, rings, watches or dentures have become loose)
• tiredness or low energy
• less ability to manage everyday tasks like showering, getting dressed or cooking
• reduced muscle strength, for example not being able to walk as far or as fast as usual
• changes in mood, which might bring feelings of lethargy and depression
• poor concentration
• poor growth in children
• a higher risk of infection, infections that keep coming back, and poor wound healing
• taking longer to recover from illness
• difficulty keeping warm
• dizziness

• you have any of the symptoms of malnutrition
• you notice a drop in weight or you've lost weight without trying

Sometimes a medical condition makes your body need more nutrients than usual. Some conditions leave your body unable to absorb or use nutrients properly. Malnutrition can follow from these:

• lung conditions like COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema,
• anxiety or mental health conditions, like depression or schizophrenia,
• conditions that disrupt your body's ability to digest and absorb nutrients, like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and cystic fibrosis
• cancer and liver disease, which can cause a lack of appetite, persistent pain or nausea
• ongoing nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
• burns, fractures and recovery after major surgery, because the body needs more nutrients
• swallowing difficulties and dysphagia, a condition that makes swallowing difficult or painful

People with memory problems or dementia may not be able to tell others what they need. They may also use up a lot of calories pacing, or they may lose their appetite.

Some types and combinations of medicine can raise your risk of malnutrition. Always check the information that comes with your medicines. Speak to a doctor if you have any concerns. Don't stop taking your medicine without a doctor's advice.

Physical, social and ageing issues can also cause malnutrition.

Problems with your mouth can add to the risk. These could be things like:

• if your teeth are in a poor condition
• if your dentures do not fit
• if you have a sore mouth

These can make eating difficult or painful.

Other physical conditions that can contribute are:

• losing your sense of smell and taste may cause you to lose your appetite
• a physical disability, impairment or neurological conditions could make it difficult for you to cook or shop for food yourself

Social issues that can contribute include:

• living alone and being socially isolated
• having limited knowledge about nutrition or cooking
• reduced mobility
• alcohol or drug use
• low income or poverty
• reliance on food banks

As we get older, we might become more likely to experience malnutrition. This might be because of how we feel, and because of physical and social factors. The social factors can be things like:

• living alone
• access to shops that can provide a good range of food
• low income or poverty

The risk also goes up because we're more likely to have one or more medical conditions as we get older.