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What are the signs of malnutrition?
What are the signs of malnutrition?
Without a healthy amount of nutrients your body may slow down and not work as well. For example, if you don't have enough iron you may get anaemia, which can make you feel tired. Without enough protein and calories you might find it difficult to keep warm and you may take longer to recover from infections.
If you are malnourished you are likely to weigh less than the average person of your height. Your healthcare professional will use a scientific measure called body mass index (or BMI for short) to find out if you are underweight, a healthy weight or overweight. If you have lost a lot of weight over a short period of time you might also be malnourished. For example, if you weighed 10 stone a short time ago and you now weigh 9 stone and you haven't been trying to lose weight, you may be malnourished.
Body mass index is calculated using your weight and your height.[1]