Nourishment and Malnutrition

• Nourishment means that our body gets all the important nutrients it needs to grow and stay healthy. To be well-nourished, we need to eat a variety of foods in the right amounts. These foods include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Malnutrition occurs when the baby doesn’t get the right amount of nutrients from their food over a long period. This means they don’t have a balanced diet, and their body doesn’t get everything it needs to stay healthy.

1. Lack of carbohydrates and proteins: Carbohydrates give us energy, and proteins help us grow. Without enough of these, a person’s growth can be slow, and they will feel tired all the time. This can make it hard for them to focus on studies, play sports, or do other activities.
2. Lack of vitamins and minerals: Not getting enough vitamins and minerals can cause health problems. For example, not having enough vitamin C can cause scurvy, a disease that affects gums and teeth.

Types of Malnutrition:

• Undernutrition occurs when a person does not get enough food or the right nutrients, leading to weakness and diseases.
• Overnutrition occurs when a person eats more food than the body needs, which can lead to health problems like obesity.

Malnutrition and overnutrition

Sometimes people think that if a child is fat, they must be healthy. But that’s not always true. If a child eats only sweets, chocolates, fried food, or cakes, they are not getting all the nutrients they need. Even if they look fat, their body may be missing important nutrients, which can lead to malnutrition.