Malnutrition

A balanced diet should provide enough nutrients like calories, protein and vitamins, to keep you healthy. Without this, you may not be getting all the nutrients you need and this can lead to malnutrition.

Malnutrition can result in:

unplanned weight loss muscle loss a low body mass index (BMI) vitamin and mineral deficiencies

This can leave you feeling tired, weak and affect your ability to recover from an illness.


Malnutrition can result in:

unplanned weight loss muscle loss a low body mass index (BMI) vitamin and mineral deficiencies

This can leave you feeling tired, weak and affect your ability to recover from an illness.


unplanned weight loss muscle loss a low body mass index (BMI) vitamin and mineral deficiencies

This can leave you feeling tired, weak and affect your ability to recover from an illness.

Symptoms

Malnutrition can be difficult to recognise. It can happen very gradually, which can make it very difficult to spot in the early stages.

Common signs and symptoms of malnutrition include:

loss of appetite and lack of interest in food or fluids unplanned weight loss – this might cause clothing, rings, watches or dentures to become loose tiredness or low energy levels reduced ability to perform everyday tasks like showering, getting dressed or cooking reduced muscle strength – for example, not being able to walk as far or as fast as usual changes in mood which might cause feelings of lethargy and depression poor concentration poor growth in children increased risk of infection, recurrent infections, taking longer to recover and poor wound healing difficulty keeping warm dizziness

Speak to your GP if: you have any of the symptoms of malnutrition you notice a drop in weight or you’ve lost weight without trying