The term malnutrition includes both under nutrition and over nutrition.
Under nutrition is caused by eating too little or an unbalanced diet that does not contain all nutrients necessary for good nutritional status. Under nutrition is due to adequate energy, protein and micronutrients to meet basic requirements for body maintenance, growth and development.
The direct effect of under nutrition are, occurrence of frank and subclinical nutritional deficiency diseases. The indirect effects are a high morbidity and mortality among young children, retarded physical and mental growth, lowered vitality leading to lowered productivity and reduced life expectancy. The high rate of maternal mortality, still births and low birth weight are all associated with undernutrition.
The health hazards from over nutrition are high incidence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular and renal diseases, disorders of liver gall bladder etc.
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