Malnutrition

Introduction

Middle aged and underweight

A dietitian explains how middle-aged and older people can become underweight, with tips on how to eat the right diet and put weight on the healthy way.

Healthy diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is vital for maintaining health and fitness. To stay healthy, we need to eat foods from a number of different food groups, including:

carbohydrates
proteins
fats
dairy

A healthy, balanced diet also includes a minimum of five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, containing essential vitamins and minerals. Read about how you can get your 5 A Day.

Nutrients

There are two main groups of nutrients:

Macronutrients are the main nutrients that provide the body with energy and help growth. They include carbohydrates, protein and fats.
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are required for many specialist functions inside the body. For example, you require a regular intake of iron to help in the production of new red blood cells.

Malnutrition is a serious condition that occurs when a person’s diet does not contain enough nutrients to meet the demands of their body.

This can affect growth, physical health, mood, behaviour and many of the functions of the body.

You can also become malnourished if your diet does not contain the right balance of nutrients.

It is possible to eat a diet high in calories but containing few vitamins and minerals. This means you can become malnourished, even though you might also be overweight or obese. Being malnourished does not always mean that you are skinny.

For more detailed advice on how to eat a well balanced and healthy diet see our section on the ‘Eatwell plate’.

Symptoms of malnutrition

The most common symptom of malnutrition is unplanned weight loss. If you lose 10% of your body weight in the course of three months and are not dieting it could be a sign that you are malnourished.

Other symptoms include:

lack of strength or energy to undertake routine activities, or poor physical performance
lack of energy and breathlessness (due to anaemia)
changes to skin and nails

Things to look out for in children include:

inability to concentrate or becoming unusually irritable
failure to grow to their expected adult height (stunted growth)

Read more about the symptoms of malnutrition.

When to see your GP

If your BMI is lower than 18.5 or you experience the symptoms listed above it is recommended that you see your GP. Find out how to calculate your BMI.

Your child’s weight and physical development should be regularly assessed by your GP or a health visitor in their first few years of life. If you have any concerns about your child’s development or health you should contact your GP.

Treatment

The main treatment option for somebody who is able to eat normally is to provide food that has an extra nutrient content, such as high-protein snack bars.

In cases where people are unable to eat there are two main treatment options:

a feeding tube can be used to provide nutrients directly into the digestive system
a drip can be used to provide nutrients and fluids directly into one of the blood vessels

Who is affected

Malnutrition is a common health problem. A study carried out in 2009 found that there were 2 million people who were malnourished in the UK and a further 3 million people who were at risk of becoming malnourished.

Around one in four people who are admitted to hospital in the UK are found to be malnourished.

High risk groups include:

older people over the age of 65, particularly if they are staying in a care home or nursing home
people with long-term conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease
people with cancer
people who abuse drugs and/or alcohol
people on low incomes

Older people may become malnourished gradually if poor health begins to affect their ability to feed themselves properly. Malnutrition then, in turn, makes their health worse.

Read more about the causes of malnutrition.