Final answer:
Malnutrition denotes failing health due to poor dietary habits, encompassing undernutrition, overnutrition, and unbalanced nutrition, affecting not only individuals in impoverished regions but also those with ample food access.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Malnutrition and Dietary Practices
Failing health caused by inadequate dietary practices refers to malnutrition, which encompasses undernutrition, overnutrition, and unbalanced nutrition. Undernutrition implies insufficient nutrient and energy intake, often seen in those with restricted access to diverse diets, leading to conditions like muscle wasting and stunted growth. Overnutrition involves excessive intake of nutrients and energy, contributing to obesity and metabolic disorders. Unbalanced nutrition, where the diet is deficient or excessive in certain nutrients, can also cause various health problems. For instance, insufficient vitamin A can lead to blindness, whereas too much may be toxic, and inadequate dietary calcium may lead to osteoporosis, whereas an excess can cause kidney stones.
Malnutrition is not limited to developing countries or the impoverished; even individuals with access to abundant food resources can suffer from it due to poor dietary choices that ignore the balance of the six essential nutrients. The elderly, those with certain diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and chronic conditions, as well as vegetarians and vegans, can be particularly at risk. Urban dietary patterns reliant on few staple foods have historically led to deficiency diseases such as scurvy and pellagra. Today, nutrition education is essential for making informed choices and preventing malnutrition in all its forms.