Understanding Energy-Protein Malnutrition and its Risks

Have you ever heard of energy-protein malnutrition? Although foreign to your ears, this disease is quite often encountered. Energy-protein malnutrition or MEP is defined as an insufficient energy and protein intake to meet your body's needs. Do not underestimate this disease, because the article, energy-protein malnutrition can be experienced by infants, children, and also adults. Malnutrition or malnutrition is a common nutritional problem throughout the world. WHO or the world health agency estimates that around 181.9 million or 32 percent of children living in developing countries are malnourished or hungry, and about 5 million cases of child deaths under the age of 5 in the area are caused by malnutrition. Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to make you healthy. If you don't get enough nutrition, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals, you will suffer from malnutrition, one of which is energy-protein malnutrition.

Causes and Types of Energy-Protein Malnutrition

Your body needs calories, protein, and overall general nutrition to function properly. Without these nutrients, your muscles will be wasted, bones become brittle, and your mind will become unfocused. Malnutrition is a serious condition that occurs when a person's diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients. Causes of malnutrition include a lack of certain nutrients in your diet, even a deficiency of one vitamin can cause malnutrition. In addition, unbalanced diet and certain medical problems, such as cancer and malabsorption syndrome, can also cause you to be malnourished. Energy-protein malnutrition can cause metabolic disorders. Your body really needs energy and protein to carry out various bodily functions and also to form body tissues. Every cell in your body contains protein. You need protein in food so that the body can repair and form new cells. A healthy human body is able to regenerate cells continuously. Without enough protein, wounds or other damage to body tissue cannot heal easily. In addition, protein is also very important for growth during childhood and pregnancy. If there is a lack of protein, normal growth and function of the body will be hampered. Energy-protein malnutrition is divided into two types, namely marasmus and kwashiorkor, with the following explanation:

• Marasmus

Marasmus is a severe form of malnutrition. This disease can occur to anyone who has malnutrition, but usually is more common in children. This disease generally occurs in developing countries or conflict areas where poverty and hunger rates are still quite high. The causes of this disease include children lack of calorie intake in the form of protein, carbohydrates and fats, and other important nutrients. This is usually caused by poverty and food scarcity. The main symptom of this disease is thin body, children with this condition have lost a lot of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat (a layer of fat that is under the skin). In addition, someone who has this disease will have dry skin and brittle hair. Energy-protein marasmus malnutrition can threaten a person's life. Children who experience this condition will also be able to suffer from chronic diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infections, intellectual barriers, and stunted growth. Usually, they might look older and have no energy or enthusiasm for anything. In addition, this disease can cause sufferers to become more irritable and irritable.

• Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is another form of malnutrition that can threaten lives and weaken the body. This condition is caused by a lack of protein in food. Kwashiorkor is also known as edematous malnutrition, because this type of malnutrition has to do with edema (fluid retention), and is a nutritional disorder that often occurs in areas that are starving. People who experience kwashiorkor usually have a very thin appearance in all areas, except for the ankles, legs and abdomen that swell with fluid. Most people who experience this disease can recover completely if they are treated early. Treatment involves adding extra calories and protein to food. Children who experience this type of malnutrition may not grow or develop properly, and there is a possibility of stunted development for the rest of their lives. If left untreated, this malnutrition can also threaten the lives of sufferers, because it can cause failure of major organs and ultimately lead to coma, severe dehydration, to death. Some of the symptoms caused by kwashiorkor energy-protein malnutrition include changes in skin and hair color and texture (brown hair and brittle hair like corn hair), dry skin, feeling tired, diarrhea, loss of muscle mass, failure to gain weight or growth, and disorders of the immune system that can cause infections occur more frequently and severely.

Energy-protein malnutrition can also occur in conditions such as trauma or severe infections, spinal cord injuries, chronic infections, diabetes, kidney failure, Crohn's disease, swallowing disorders, eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, side effects of medications such as chemotherapy, severe depression , elderly with poor care or health, and HIV infection. To diagnose and determine the medical problems found in patients, the doctor will conduct a nutritional status check by calculating the Body Mass Index (BMI) and general physical examination. WHO also recommends examinations: blood sugar, fecal examination, complete blood analysis, urine culture and analysis, albumin levels, electrolytes, as well as VCT and HIV testing. This examination aims to determine the cause of malnutrition and the possibility of other comorbidities that can get worse due to nutritional problems. Energy-protein malnutrition, both marasmus and kwashiorkor, can be treated by increasing calorie intake slowly and through small but frequent feeding. Your doctor may add liquid protein if the sufferer has problems digesting food. The doctor will also recommend multivitamin supplements and prescribe medications to increase appetite. If the symptoms experienced by the patient are too severe, hospitalization may be needed to provide fluids and treat other complications due to malnutrition such as infections and dehydration. In people with swallowing disorders or other medical conditions, nasogastric tube placement can also be done to provide fluid and food into the stomach to provide nutrition. Some types of nutrients, such as albumin, can be given intravenously. Giving calorie and nutrient intake to this nutritional problem needs to be done in stages and according to the body's ability to digest and process it. The provision of nutrition that is too high or fast and not in accordance with the patient's body's ability to process nutrition, will worsen the patient's condition. This condition is called refeeding syndrome, and is a severe condition that is dangerous and can cause death. This condition can also occur in people with anorexia by handling improper eating patterns. Provision of food and medicine will be scheduled by doctors and nutrition experts to improve the general condition and nutritional status of the sufferer gradually. The best way to prevent yourself and your family from energy-protein malnutrition is to eat foods that are balanced and healthy. You need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, bread, rice, potatoes, and other starchy foods. In addition, some milk and dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, beans, and non-dairy protein sources can also prevent you from getting this disease. If you, your child, or your family experience some of the symptoms of energy-protein malnutrition above, consult your doctor immediately to get the right treatment. In children, nutrition is not a trivial problem, because it can affect the future and life.