This articles covers all the aspects regarding malnutrition: its causes, treatment, consequences,solutions etc.

1. MALNUTRITION
Oil of burning world
According to UNICEF, nearly half of the total children around the world under the age of 5 die
because of malnutrition. That is roughly about 3 million young minds we lose in a year. These
figures seems to be even more depressing when we talk about malnutrition in India. India
accounts for 20% of the total deaths of children under 5 years of age and out of which 50% of
deaths are due to malnutrition. With 44% of children under 5 are underweight while 72% of
infants have anaemia, malnutrition in India have taken its worst form. If no effective and
efficient steps are taken in the very near future, this devil will burn the world from head to
toes leaving nothing but the pile of deaths along with a dark world to live in.
Malnutrition is a condition which results from eating a diet in which nutrients are either not
enough or are too much such that diet causes health problems. A good diet consist of
adequate amount of carbs, vitamins, minerals and protein. All these are required for proper
functioning of the human body. Absence of at least one of these starts damaging your body
which refers to as malnutrition. It is sometimes referred as under nourishment. Malnutrition
is sometimes referred to undernourishment as cases of over nourishment are very few in
comparison. It is very much common in poor people especially poor children.
There are various reasons for an occurrence of malnutrition. The most prevalent of these are
poverty and high food prices. For the developing nations (like Africa, China, India), these
factors cause the majority of malnutrition cases to arise. Some other contributing factors are
lack of awareness, people with chronic eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, people
recovering after serious illness, loss of appetite, isolated people, people with bad eating
habits, drug and alcohol addicts, people suffering from long lasting diseases and countless
more factors.
Prevention is better than cure. Diseases are less money consuming, less time consuming with
very few adverse effects on health with dealt at an early stage. This is evidently true for
malnutrition too. In order to cure it at an early stage, it is a must to know the symptoms of
malnutrition. The most common for all is the significant weight loss. Studies say that those
who lose more than 10% of their body weight within 3 months without dieting can be
malnourished. This is measured using BMI (Body Mass Index). Healthy BMI index for adults is
typically in range from 18.5 to 24.9. Those with less than 18.5 are malnourished. Other
symptoms are weakness of muscles, vulnerable to infections, prolong healing, dizziness, dry
skin and dry hair, depression and fatigue throughout the day. With the right knowledge and
right medical care malnutrition can be prevented long before it even become life threatening.
In diagnostic terms, it is one thing to have a disease and it is completely different to find it in
body. My deaths occur because of not being able found out at the right time. Hence, diagnosis
plays an important role in any disease. It tell us how severe a disease has affected your body.
Accordingly the prescription is given by the doctors. The superficial diagnosis of malnutrition
is BMI. BMI between 17 to 18.5 is mildly malnourished, between 16 to 17 is moderately
malnourished and less than 16 is severely malnourished. Other factors are routine blood test
which assess anaemia and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. There may be dehydration,
low blood sugar and signs of severe infection as is evident by raised while blood cell counts.
In children, height and weight are measured with compared with the expected height and

2. weight of the child at that age. The thing that should be noted here is if there is significant
drop in the expected height and weight of the child then he/she may be malnourished.
Routine blood tests in children include those for blood glucose, blood counts, and blood
protein. Levels of iron in blood, folic acid and vitamin B 12 are also recommended.
Treatment of malnutrition depends on numerous factors. These include the severity of
malnutrition, the underlying cause of the malnutrition, ability to feed oneself, and ability to
eat and digest food normally. Also age, mental status and place of living of the patient is
considered. Some of the treatments include supplements of mineral and vitamin. Therapists
and physicians for those for have mental disorders or long term illness. Gradual increase in
the content of carbs, protein, vitamin and minerals is advised.
Government has taken many initiatives to eradicate malnutrition from India. The
schemes/programmes include the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National
Health Mission (NHM) etc. Even NGOs across India are working desperately to support
government in this mission. But, these alone cannot achieve the objective. We, the citizen of
this great country must lend our hands to support government and NGOs by anyway possible.
By volunteering in NGOs, doctors providing free check-ups, food donation, organising
awareness campaign, giving food, medicines, multivitamins in subsidised rates etc. we can
help our country in eliminating this devil. Only by a shared cooperation among citizens, public
and private institutes, we can dare to end malnutrition.
Let’s join our hands and give our future generation a dreamed and a comfortable India to live
in…..
Kumar Kartik Jain
( Intern at prayaascorps)
About Author: I was born on 5th
Octuber 1995 in Gwalior (M.P). My father is a business man and
my mother is a house wife. I have one elder sister. I have completed my schooling from Gwalior my
graduation from SGSITS, Indore(M.P).
www.prayaascorps.com
About PrayaasCorps: With a motto to stir and inspire the youth’s mind in schools and
colleges for National consciousness and work for the cause of society, this independent student
organization was formed in 2013 on the day of 12th
January. Prayaas-India, as it was initially
called took up the initiative of working for the elation of the people of the society in order to
create a better future and children who wish to serve our Motherland.