Final answer:
Malnutrition refers to inadequate or imbalanced nutrient intake, including undernutrition, which involves insufficient energy and nutrient intake. It affects millions globally due to poverty, reliance on single food sources, and underdeveloped food production, resulting in cycles of poverty and malnutrition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Malnutrition is the inability to acquire or consume an adequate diet or sufficient quantity of food. This condition encompasses both overnutrition and undernutrition, the latter of which is characterized by a lack of nutrients causing insufficiencies in energy supply. While overnutrition can result in obesity and an overaccumulation of fat tissue, undernutrition concerns insufficient energy intake and is commonly associated with low body fat reserves and a low body mass index (BMI).
Undernourished individuals often cannot access a diverse diet with adequate sources of protein, which can lead to high levels of malnutrition. This problem is especially severe in areas where poverty restricts access to nutritious food or where food production is underdeveloped. Consequently, a cycle of poverty and undernutrition persists, because undernourished people are less likely to be able to improve their socioeconomic status.
Addressing malnutrition, particularly undernutrition, is critical as it affects millions worldwide. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 841 million people are chronically undernourished, with a significant impact on children under five. Malnutrition can stem from reliance on a single dietary staple, inadequate development in food production, and socio-economic challenges that hinder proper access to food.