Final answer:
The correct answer is a) Malnutrition weakened his immune system. Eating too little leads to malnutrition, which in turn compromises the immune system, making the body more susceptible to diseases and infections that could lead to death.
Step-by-step explanation:
How did eating too little factor into Raja's death? The correct answer is a) Malnutrition weakened his immune system. Malnutrition and insufficient caloric intake have serious effects on the body’s ability to maintain its immune functions. Prolonged malnutrition can result in diminished energy levels, thus impacting the energetic balance necessary for a robust immune system to fight infections. Additionally, famines and poor nutrition during development can lead to long-lasting detrimental effects on immune response.
In some cases, as in the admittance of historian William Chester Jordan, children who survive famines can have more severe long-term effects than adults who survive starvation. The body, weakened by starvation, becomes more susceptible to diseases, with the immune system compromised and unable to adequately defend against illnesses, which could include opportunistic diseases often linked to malnutrition, like anemia, beriberi, and pellagra. Severe malnutrition may also trigger various physiological changes that affect muscle atrophy and dehydration, further weakening the individual's overall health.