Malnutrition is one of the biggest issues affecting the entire globe. Although a worldwide problem, people have differing ideas and opinions of malnutrition and health. 

   Malnutrition is often categorized of as someone who is underweight, but malnourished individuals can be both underweight or obese. 

   Malnutrition refers to an imbalanced intake of energy or nutrients, or in simpler terms, how much food one eats. World hunger statistics have risen by about 10% since 2019, it is a regularly untreated issue around the world. 

  There are different kinds of malnutrition. There are 3 main types of malnutrition such as undernutrition, micronutrient (or diet)-related malnutrition, and obesity. 

   Undernutrition is the most common of these types. Undernutrition is when someone is underweight due to disease caused weight loss or incorrect eating habits. Not eating enough or eating too little is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

   Diet-related malnutrition takes effect when someone does not consume the proper amount of certain kinds of nutrients. Lack of nutrients such as iodine, vitamin A, and iron are the main cause of diet-related nutrition. . According to the World Health Organization (WHO),  iron deficiency is the most common form of micronutrient-based malnutrition 

   The last type of malnutrition to be mentioned is obesity; this means that the affected person is heavier than what is healthy for their height. This can happen when too much of a substance is consumed, and not enough of it is used to give their body energy.

  Those who are most affected by malnutrition are in lower income countries, and they are typically women and children. For these people, it is difficult to balance their diet because of various factors such as poverty, inequality, and sometimes it’s just how they were born.

   Statistically, more women typically have food insecurity than men. This can make it difficult for a woman to have good diets in general. 

   Children usually are affected by malnutrition because of dietary imbalances rather than nutrition based. This can happen mainly due to food insecurity in their household, lack of care from caretakers, and indecent healthcare facilities.

  Also commonly affected by malnutrition are people affected by mental or physical health issues. Some health issues that may cause types of malnutrition are anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorders, or bulimia. 

   Some effects of malnutrition can be cancer, liver disease, and lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are also problems caused by malnutrition like stunted growth, diabetes, and heart disease. 

   Malnutrition is something that we, in America, should be concerned about. According to USDA, more than 41 million Americans are currently hungry, due to food insecurity and poverty.