The treatment for malnutrition will differ depending on what type of malnutrition is diagnosed.
In undernutrition, treatment consists of rehydration and slowly increasing food intake. This could involve feeding through a tube, an intravenous line, or through oral intake, depending on the situation and the severity of the malnutrition. For overweight and obesity, physical activity and behavioral therapies are important in treatment. Increasing physical activity increases the amount of calories burned and works in tandem with calorie-restricting diets for weight loss.[1] In some cases, medications or surgical interventions might also be recommended. In both undernutrition and overweight and obesity, if there is a deficiency of a certain vitamin or mineral, it might be replaced through an oral supplement, an intravenous supplement, or fortified foods.[2]
Most of the people who are diagnosed with malnutrition can benefit from the education and support provided by a dietitian.[2]
References
- ^Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ, Jordan HS, Kendall KA, Lux LJ, Mentor-Marcel R, Morgan LC, Trisolini MG, Wnek J, Anderson JL, Halperin JL, Albert NM, Bozkurt B, Brindis RG, Curtis LH, DeMets D, Hochman JS, Kovacs RJ, Ohman EM, Pressler SJ, Sellke FW, Shen WK, Smith SC Jr, Tomaselli GF, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, Obesity Society2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity SocietyCirculation.(2014 Jun 24)
- ^Volkert D, Beck AM, Cederholm T, Cereda E, Cruz-Jentoft A, Goisser S, de Groot L, Großhauser F, Kiesswetter E, Norman K, Pourhassan M, Reinders I, Roberts HC, Rolland Y, Schneider SM, Sieber CC, Thiem U, Visser M, Wijnhoven HAH, Wirth RManagement of Malnutrition in Older Patients-Current Approaches, Evidence and Open Questions.J Clin Med.(2019 Jul 4)