Malnutrition

Malnutrition comes from an unbalanced diet or disordered eating and can lead to adverse health issues. Two types of malnutrition can occur under-nutrition and over-nutrition.

First, we will look at under-nutrition, this occurs mostly in underdeveloped countries but can also occur in the UK. The elderly or low-income people can also suffer from malnutrition.

Overnutrition affects people mostly in developed countries, many health risks can arise as a result of over-consumption of food high in fat and sugar, for example, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease and high blood pressure to name a few. As a result of over-consumption in the UK alone, 400 people die a day from heart disease, over 1 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and 2 to 5 men suffer from high blood pressure and in women, this is 1 in 3.

Around 60% of men and 50% of women are obese as a result from a high-calorie intake. This has significant health risks. Diabetes is a major problem and arises as the body is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin. Two forms exist, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 requires insulin for treatment and tends to be the more severe of the two, it's generally diagnosed in young people of normal weight and the symptoms can be severe and rapid in there onset. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and occurs mostly in those overweight but can be controlled by diet and weight loss. Type two diabetes is often referred to as age-onset diabetes as if affect you in mid to later life. Type two diabetes is preventable with a good diet and exercise.

Cancer is another risk of excess consumption and each year 32,000 people in the UK die each year before the age of 65. It's believed a quarter of all cancers are a result of poor diet. A low intake of fruits and vegetables are linked to increases in bowl and stomach cancer and breast cancer has been positively linked in recent years with obesity.