Malnutrition & Unintentional Weight Loss

What is malnutrition and unintentional weight loss?

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies or imbalances in a person’s intake of macronutrients or micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals resulting in diet-related non communicable diseases.

The most common types of malnutrition we treat are:

Undernutrition related to low macronutrient and energy intake
Wasting (low weight-for-height) – which can happen as a result of low appetite due to ageing or factors like major surgery or cancer reducing oral intake or increasing energy expenditure
Stunting (low height-for-age) or underweight (low weight – for- age) – which can happen as a result of feeding difficulties, recurrent diseases, conditions which impair nutrient absorption such as crohn’s disease or cystic fibrosis or restricted access to adequate nutrition
Micronutrient-related malnutrition: micronutrient deficiencies such as iron deficiency anaemia

Malnutrition occurs when an individual is not meeting their nutritional requirements, it is a serious condition which in Australia is more common amongst the elderly, people who under eat, or those who do not eat a wide variety of foods in a balanced diet.

Unintentional weight loss is when an individual has a decrease in their body weight, without trying to lose weight or changing their dietary or exercise habits. Weight can fluctuate significantly in many people; however unintentional weight loss is characterised as when an individual loses 4.5kg or 5% of their normal body weight over 6 -12 months or less without knowing the reason e.g. not following a diet plan or eating in a calorie deficit but still losing weight.

Malnutrition & Unintentional Weight Loss

What causes malnutrition and unintentional weight loss?

Malnutrition is usually caused by a variety of factors. In older people, malnutrition can occur due to other health problems, such as dementia or dental problems making it difficult to eat. Appetite can also be affected due to certain medications, chronic diseases or difficulty swallowing. Malnutrition can also occur in individuals who restrict certain food groups from their diets.

Micronutrients allow the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances that are essential for growth and development. Malnutrition can present the following symptoms:

Losing weight unintentionally
Losing muscle
Pale skin
Confusion
Hair loss
Wounds that don’t heal
Weakness
Falls
Dental problems

There can be many causes of why people can lose weight unintentionally, a decrease in appetite can be caused by the following:

Depression
Cancer
Chronic infections
Chronic illness such as Parkinson disease Drugs including chemotherapy drugs and thyroid medication
Stress or anxiety.

Chronic digestive system problems can decrease and interrupt your normal absorption of calories and nutrients; such causes of this may include:

Chronic Diarrhoea
Infections that can last for an extent of time e.g. parasites
Chronic inflammation of the pancreas
Removal of part of the small intestine
Excessive use of laxatives.

How can Bites Dietitians help?

Our dietitians will work with you to assess your current condition and nutritional status via a physical and dietary assessment and then create a meal plan for you that meets your individual nutrient requirements. Our dietitians will calculate how much energy you need to consume to reverse malnutrition and achieve optimum health and nutrition. The meal plan will ensure that you are meeting your micro and macronutrient demands and we will often give you an idea of the rate of weight regain you can expect e.g. your meal plan might be set to increase your weight by approximately 0.5 kg per week. We will supply you with the knowledge and guidance to help improve your nutritional status in the healthiest way! If you haven’t already discovered the cause of your weight loss/malnutrition our dietary assessment will either give you a dietary answer or help to rule out the possibility that dietary factors might be contributing and we can refer you on to your GP and the most appropriate specialists that might be able to help you figure out what’s happening and you’ll likely need to continue your dietary prescription to manage your dietary intake in the process.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

An interesting fact about diet and malnutrition and unintentional weight loss:

Your energy and micronutrient requirements increase dramatically if you’ve recently experienced any major trauma such as a fall, a motor vehicle accident, brain injury or burns. It’s important to increase your nutritional intake to match otherwise it’s likely some weight loss (including muscle and strength loss) will occur.

What improvements can you expect to see from a tailored dietary prescription?

There will be many different improvements with a tailored dietary prescription. Dietary goals will vary from person to person due to the different causes of malnutrition and unintentional weight loss. However, here are some improvements you can expect to see:

Any nutrient deficiencies that may be present from initial consultation will improve to non-deficient or closer to normal levels. E.g. If you are anaemic, within 2-3 weeks your symptoms will start to improve but it may take several months for your iron reserves to build up again.
Improvements in weight. Healthy weight gain is achieved, in a controlled and maintainable state.
Improved energy levels.
Increased appetite.
Any other conditions are managed e.g. diabetes; maintain stable blood glucose levels.

Helpful things to bring/remember before your first appointment

Pathology results
Referral if you have one
List of medications and dosages
Any medical history from your GP or specialist that might be helpful for us to know!

Want To Know More About Other Conditions We Treat?

Learn More

Contact Details



305/29–31 Lexington Drive, Bella Vista NSW 2153



0452 458 146

