What Are The Early Signs Of Malnutrition?

Concentration Issues

One common sign of malnutrition is dealing with concentration issues. It can be hard to pinpoint malnutrition as the underlying cause, though, since many medical conditions can lead to focus issues. The lack of energy from not eating can lead to 'brain fog,' which makes it harder to process information, commit facts to long term memory, follow instructions, and remember how to do tasks. This is without even considering how many different vitamin and mineral deficiencies can affect an individual's ability to concentrate even if they have consumed adequate calories.

These problems are particularly concerning for children, since they can have implications for their ongoing neurological development. Undernourished children are more likely to perform badly in school and fail to learn. An iron deficiency can contribute to concentration issues by creating fatigue and a weakened immune system. Chronic iron deficiencies can stunt a child's physical and intellectual development. Meanwhile, chronic iodine deficiencies in children can cause permanent brain damage that leads to learning disabilities. Vitamin B deficiencies can also slow thought processes and impede mental connections.

Depression

Malnutrition has been linked with depression in multiple studies for a few potential reasons. One is the lack of nutrients prevents the brain from generating the energy, connections, and neurotransmitters than it usually should, which can lead to lethargy, listlessness, unhappiness, and loss of interest. Other reasons for the connection include external circumstances and shared underlying causes. For example, individuals in impoverished communities suffering from the stress and pain of chronic malnutrition are more likely to feel unhappy and helpless.

One study showed elderly individuals in rural communities can sometimes feel isolated and become depressed, which leads to a loss of interest in eating, which leads to malnutrition. Some individuals also become malnourished due to eating disorders, which are often exacerbated by depression or share an underlying chemical component with depression. This becomes a vicious cycle, since the sadness from the lack of energy leads to an increased desire to restrict food. Individuals who are malnourished due to eating disorders need mental health treatment just as much or more than they need food.