What term describes a state of poor nutrition?

Malnutrition refers to a state of poor nutrition that can result from either an inadequate intake of essential nutrients or an imbalance between nutrient intake and nutrient needs. This can manifest as undernutrition (not getting enough nutrients) or overnutrition (excess nutrients leading to health issues). It is important to recognize that malnutrition encompasses a broader spectrum of nutritional issues beyond just a lack of food, including deficiencies in specific vitamins or minerals and the consequences that come from an unbalanced diet.

The other terms provided have more specific meanings. Caloric surplus indicates that an individual is consuming more calories than the body requires, which can lead to weight gain but does not encompass the full range of nutritional deficits or imbalances that characterize malnutrition. Obesity, while related to malnutrition, specifically describes an excessive amount of body fat and is often a result of overnutrition, rather than poor nutrition in the broader sense. Deficiency disease refers to specific health problems resulting from the lack of certain nutrients, such as scurvy from a deficiency in vitamin C. Thus, while these terms relate to nutrition in different ways, malnutrition is the term that captures the holistic concept of poor nutritional status.