Protein Energy Malnutrition

Protein Energy Malnutrition
One would think that in this modern age there would be little worry over diets that are deficient in any major ways by lack of access to nutrients as opposed to intentional omission. Unfortunately this is not the case. Most of us in developed Western countries find ready access to most key food groups. However there are many in the world and even in the United States that do not have this same access. In this paper we will explore the diseases of Marasmus and Kwashiorkor and the associated causes, effects and treatments.
PEM/PCM Defined
Malnutrition as a whole can be defined and is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “an imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body’s demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions." When addressing this from the specific viewpoint of a protein deficiency we come to a collective group of nutritional disorders and diseases called protein-energy malnutrition (PEM)....