Shivalika Keni, Manasa Prahlad and Annika Vahalia Malnutrition In relation to starvation, coronary heart disorder, constipation and obesity Shivalika Keni, Manasa Prahlad and Annika Vahalia

Malnutrition The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as “the cellular imbalance between supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions.” In 2010, 975 million people going to bed without a proper meal

Coronary Heart Disease While malnutrition may not directly cause heart disease, it can cause other complications that can lead to heart disease Problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and changes in cholesterol can cause heart problems Abnormal cholesterol changes include increases in LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol) Symptoms – chest pain, heavy breathing, fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath

Starvation Starvation is the most severe way in which malnutrition may manifest itself. Starvation is a case of extreme deficiency in vitamins, nutrients, and caloric energy. If left untreated, in humans, starvation may cause permanent organ damage which may result in death. Some medical causes of starvation may be a coma, constant vomiting, anorexia, MDD (major depressive disorder), or Bulimia – or binge-eating. There may also be some circumstantial causes such as poverty, fasting, or famine. Symptoms of starvation – loss of adipose and muscle tissue (which may lead to heart failure), atrophy, fatigue, and dehydration. Other symptoms are also hyperactivity, irritability, and apathy

Obesity Obesity is a state in which body fat accumulation begins to have a bad effect on health. This is because it can increase the likelihood of one contracting various diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and asthma. It is most commonly caused by excessive food intake, lack of activity, and genetic susceptibility to the condition. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death.

Constipation Constipation is when stools pass infrequently of difficultly. Lack of water in the body causes the large intestine to reabsorb more water from the waste, causing the feces to become hard, solid masses that become painful to egest. Lack of dietary fiber causes the feces to not solidify properly and become a mush that will become difficult to egest. Dehydrating foods in excess (such as dried fruits) cause the body to need more water and the large intestine to reabsorb more water. Lack of mucus in the large intestines causes a lack of lubricant that would help the feces pass smoothly out the body.

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