A :Okay , so today we are going to start a discussion about malnutrition.

It still
seems to be an issue that concerns many countries.

B:Oh really?

A:Yeah ! Nowadays, although the economic situation and quality of life in the world
has improved, many young people, especially children, are still malnourished.

C: Why it is still happening?

B:We often see quite a few children who are quite short and thin even though they
are in the development stage.In some developing countries, not only children but
also the elderly and pregnant women can be malnourished.

D:Moreover ,we often assume that people are malnourished because they don't eat
enough or even starve. That is only a small part of the cause,According to studies,
sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, physiological changes, psychological
problems, .. can also be causes of malnutrition in patients.

B:So what exactly is malnutrition?

C:According to the experts, under-nutrition is a deficiency of nutrients. You may be

undernourished if you don’t have an adequate diet, or if your body has trouble
absorbing enough nutrients from your food.
E:In other words, malnutrition is simply not getting the correct amount of nutrition.So
is there any way to know that?
D: People who are malnourished are often stunted growth, wasting, and
underweight
A: You might have trouble getting enough nutrients such as : Limiting access to
nutritious foods,Eating disorders such as anorexia
E: Or maybe have a very restricted diet.
C:As far as i found out ,studies on malnutrition have the population categorized into
different groups including infants, under-five children, children, adolescents, pregnant
women, adults and the elderly population.
D:Yeah, I know . Under-nutrition is an increasing health problem in people aged
over 65 years.In the elderly, under-nutrition is more commonly due to physical,
psychological, and social factors, not a lack of food.
A: And most cases of malnutrition will usually be low body weight, protruding bones,
depleted muscle and fat; emaciated arms and legs with edema (swelling from fluid) in
the abdomen and face.
E: If it occurs in children, it also makes them susceptible to intellectual disability and
growth retardation
C:It sounds terrible !! I can't imagine how bad it would be if I was malnourished
B:Is there any way to cure it?
 A:Yes , of course . There are many ways to cure it. One of the most effective ways
is to change your diet.
B:Ohh , I see. You need to build yourself a more nutritionally balanced diet, right?
A:Yep, You were right

E:I think, a correct diet must meet the body's energy needs from a full range of
substances including protein, lipid, glucid, minerals and vitamins.
C:You will need a lots of fruits and vegetables.
B:And try to eat more starches like bread, rice, and potatoes.
D: In addition, you need to add milk or dairy products. If you don't like milk then try
to make it in dishes. I think that will help you love it more
E:And last but not least , change up your meal, make it richer with protein-rich foods
like beef, fish, eggs or beans.
A:On the other hand, in some cases, you have difficulty in eating such as anorexia,
you may consider using functional foods or oral medications
B:I think this is still lacking because malnutrition is not only found in thin people, but
also in obese people. This is a condition in which a child has a good body fat but
lacks essential micro-nutrients such as calcium, anemia, and vitamin D.
D:Yeah , exactly .I have also read through a professor's research paper about this
case. Although the case is not common, it is still worth discussing.
B:So what characteristics do these patients have that we can easily recognize with
the naked eye? like gestures, looks..
E:Children with this disease often have the following manifestations: fussiness, poor
sleep, frequent seizures. body, sweating, slow teething, slow speech and walking.
C:Not only that, children also appear white edema, soft whole body, skin
pigmentation disorder, often have manifestations of anemia such as: pale skin,
deterioration in skin, hair, ... or even encounter disease symptoms such as heart
failure, liver failure, decreased digestion.
A:In my opinion, I think the main reason is due to improper care of parents leading to
an unbalanced diet when there is a lack of protein and an excess of energy from fat
and sugar.
E:I also agree .Young people today often have children quite early and that may be
the reason why they do not have experience in child care. They spend most of their
time working to earn money to live, so it is easy to see that they will often choose
ready-to-eat foods for their meals during the day such as hot dogs, snacks,
carbonated soft drinks
B:Yeah , I see. It's very convenient and delicious.They overuse fast food but do not
anticipate its consequences for children's health
E:For example, children eat too much starch from rice, bread, soft drinks, fast food
leading to excess energy that will be stored as fat, causing overweight and obesity.
C:On the other hand ,due to spending too little time at home or possibly due to the
excessive abstinence of parents, children today are often sedentary. That makes
them become passive and don't have many opportunities to regularly expose
themselves to the sun.

A:In addition to a balanced diet as we mentioned earlier, parents should also

encourage their children to participate in physical activities. Other outdoor sports
such as cycling, swimming, running...

B:Thereby, we can clearly see that nutrition occupies an important place for
human health, helps sustain human life.

D:Yeah . Especially , don't be subjective because malnutrition can occur at any

age from children to the elderly, especially in children under 5 years of age.

E:It directly affects the growth process and development of children, including
physical, mental, and other bodily functions.

D:It also causes illness, makes diseases easy to arise, or makes it worse in
malnourished children.

A: In some cases, if not treated promptly, it can even lead to death.

B:So to prevent malnutrition, each of us needs to be fully equipped with knowledge

about this disease, proactively see the doctor and change the diet when children
have the manifestations of malnutrition.

C: You're right . Health is the most vital for each person, so try to create healthy
living habits, eat well, and exercise every day to improve resistance and make the
body healthier.