Nutritional Deficiency
Diseases
Nutritional Diseases
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Malnutrition: Lack of essential nutrients; ie
vitamins, minerals, amino acids
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Undernourishment: Lack of food energy (calories).
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WHO estimates that half of the world’s population is
malnourished in some form
Can you be overnourished and malnourished at the
same time?
Diseases of Malnourishment

Marasmus: progressive emaciation due to lack of protein &
calories preventing growth.
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
Kwashiorkor: lack of protein in diet, leading to failure of
neural development.
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Cause of 49% of the 10.4 million deaths occurring in children younger
than 5 years in developing countries.
“the sickness the older child gets when the next baby is born”
Characterized by bloated belly
Chronic hunger: enough food to stay alive, but not be
productive
Child w/Marasmus
Child
w/Kwashiorkor
Noma, Cancrum oris
• Cause: under/malnutrition
• Problem: secondary infection;
mucous membranes become
inflamed and develop ulcers, often
in the mouth
Anemia
Cause: iron deficiency, decrease in the
number of RBCs
Problem: fatigue, irritability, shortness of
breath, constant headache
Beriberi
Cause: lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Problem: heart and nervous system
damage, muscle wasting, brain
damage
Cretinism & Goiter
Cretinism
Goiter
Causes: lack of iodine
during pregnancy
Causes: lack of iodine
Problem: physical &
mental retardation,
stunted growth
Problem: deafness,
fatigue, weight gain,
enlarged thyroid
Pellagra
Cause: lack of niacin
Problem: dermatitis, weakness,
intestinal distress, neurologic
manifestations, organ failure
Osteoporosis
Cause: lack of calcium and/or
vitamin D (prevents absorption of
calcium)
Problem: weak bones, fractures,
decrease bone density
Rickets
Cause: lack of vitamin D
Problem: softening and
weakening of bones from release
of calcium from bones
Scurvy
Cause: lack of vitamin C
Problem: irritability, swelling and
hemorrhage especially over long
bones, death from hemorrhage and
cardiac failure
Xerophthalmia
Cause: vitamin A deficiency
Problem: blindness
Zinc deficiency
Cause: diet deficient in zinc
Problem: poor wound healing,
bone deformities, dwarfism,
hyperpigmentation, fetal
abnormalities, immune system
failure