Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. When people don’t get enough nutrients — including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals – they may suffer from malnutrition.

Causes of malnutrition include:

• Lack of specific nutrients in the diet. Even the lack of one vitamin can lead to malnutrition.
• An unbalanced diet
• Certain medical problems, such as malabsorption syndromes and cancers

Diagnosis and Treatment

Symptoms may include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss. Or, there may have no symptoms. To diagnose the cause of the problem, doctors may do blood tests and a nutritional assessment. Treatment may include replacing the missing nutrients and treating the underlying cause.