Question

Compare and Contrast undernourishment and malnutrition?

Answer 1

The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that "Malnutrition" has two basic forms (here below).

Explanation:

"Malnutrition" has therefore two forms, or types:

(1) "Undernutrition" (or under-nourishment, accompanied by a major lack of calories and the lack of basic micronutrients), and:

(2) "Overweight-Nutrition" (a type of over-nourishment, accompanied by an excess of empty calories, but plagued by major deficiencies and imbalances of micronutrients -- leading to chronic diseases).

Both of these forms of malnutrition might be seriously deficient in terms of essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, plus other nutrient deficiencies (polyphenols, etc) -- although the situation is much more tragic in undernutrition.

Source: "What is malnutrition?", WHO, 8 July 2016, http://www.who.int/features/qa/malnutrition/en/