Nutritional deficiencies and disorders

Nutritional disorders are conditions of ill health in a person which arise as a result of lifestyle (poor eating habits) as discussed below.

i. Obesity

Obesity is where by a person has excess body fat. A person's sex, age and level of activity among other factors determine his or her ideal body fat. To maintain fertility, women need more body fat. Women also store more fat in their breasts, hips and thighs.

Obesity mostly results from eating too much and not exercising enough. Body weight and health risks associated with it are correlated by the body mass index (BMI). BMI gives the relationship between the estimated body fat and the risks of certain disease or conditions.

$BMI = \frac{\text{Body mass (in kilograms)}}{(\text{person's height (in meters)})^2}$

OR

$BMI = \frac{\text{Body mass (kg)}}{(\text{Person's height})^2 \, (m^2)}$

For example if your height is 1.65 meters and your body mass is 60 kilograms your BMI can be calculated as $60 / (1.65)^2 = 60 / 2.7225 = 22.04$. If an individual's BMI falls in the range of 20 – 25, this is considered to be healthy. On the other hand if the BMI is over 30, one may be at risk of diseases associated with obesity.

The following table shows a general guide of how different values of BMI are used to define the condition of the body.

BMI	Body condition
Below 20	Underweight
20 – 25	Advisable range
25 – 30	Overweight
30 – 35	Obese
Above 35	Very obese

Obesity increases the likelihood of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer, stroke, and respiratory problems. Obesity can be prevented by eating properly and engaging in regular exercise. The intake of calories should balance one's physical activity. It is also important to avoid eating too much fatty foods such as butter, fat meat, chips, margarine, sausage and vitumbua. Avoid also unhealthy dieting.

Anorexia nervosa is also called slimmer's disease or self-starvation syndrome. It occurs when a person intentionally refuses to eat enough, leading to a severe loss of body mass.

Signs and symptoms of anorexia

1. Muscle wasting (including weakening of heart muscle)
2. Excessive loss of body mass
3. Extreme fear of being fat
4. Disturbed body image or feeling fat even when one is very thin.

Bulimia nervosa involves excessive eating followed by efforts to remove food from the body. This effort could involve self-induced vomiting, fasting, excessive exercising or taking drugs that stimulate emptying of the bowels or excessive urination. Bulimics usually have a normal body mass and keep their eating behavior secret. Hence it may be difficult to tell that they have a problem.

Causes of Anorexia and Bulimia

Both Bulimia and Anorexia have underlying psychological causes, such as depression, low self-esteem and bottled-up emotions and the need to fit contemporary standards of beauty. Bulimia and Anorexia mostly affect women.

Effects of Anorexia and Bulimia

1. Heart problems due to weak cardiac muscles or an imbalance of mineral salts.
2. Impaired mental function because the brain lacks adequate amount of glucose. Victims also exhibit dehydration.
3. Dental damage — during vomiting, the acid present in the stomach comes into contact with the teeth and gums, which eventually causes serious damage to the gums and erosion of the teeth.
4. Other effects include anemia, stomach ulcers, abdominal cramping and inflammation of the gut, irregular or absent menstrual periods and dry skin.

Treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia

Anorexia and Bulimia can be treated by resolving the underlying psychological problems, seeing a medical practitioner who can prescribe a way of getting back one's healthy weight and making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes.

These deficiencies arise when the body does not have sufficient supply of a particular food or nutrient. The following are some of the common nutritional deficiencies.

ii. Marasmus

Marasmus is a form of malnutrition in children caused by lack of adequate amount of food.

Signs and symptoms of Marasmus

A child suffering from marasmus shows weight loss, slowed growth, decreased activity and lack of energy. They also have wrinkled skin, are irritable and have extreme hunger.

Treatment of Marasmus

Getting adequate amount of food that contains all the nutrients in the right proportions.

iii. Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is caused by a deficiency of proteins. It affects children, mostly after stopping to breast feed.

Signs and symptoms of kwashiorkor

The signs and symptoms of kwashiorkor include extremely thin arms and legs, poor growth, swollen abdomen due to enlargement of the liver and reddish or yellowish thin and weak hair. Other symptoms are weakened immunity, diarrhea, anemia, and dry skin that cracks easily.

Treatment for Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is treated by providing a child with a diet that has adequate amounts of proteins.

iv. Rickets

Rickets is a condition whereby the bones of a child soften, leading to fractures and deformities. The cause of rickets is lack of vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium.

Signs and symptoms of Rickets

A child suffering from rickets can be identified by observable skeletal deformities such as bow legs, knock knees, an odd-shaped skull and a deformed spine. A child feels bone pain, experiences dental problems such as weak teeth or delayed formation of teeth and develops weak muscles. The child's bones are easily fractured, shows slow growth and gets muscle spasms and muscle cramps.

Prevention of Rickets

Rickets is prevented by increasing the amount of vitamin D, phosphates and calcium in the diet and by ensuring exposure to sufficient amount of sunlight.