Meals on Wheels is Joining the Fight Against Malnutrition!
September 23-27 is Malnutrition Awareness Week. This is not only for the acute (hospital) center; it also has implications for community health. This month’s blog objective is to increase your knowledge of what malnutrition is and empower you to take action in the fight against malnutrition.
Malnutrition is the inadequate intake of calories, protein, or other nutrients needed for tissue maintenance and repair, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
Malnutrition can occur due to inadequate energy intake or not eating enough due to decreased appetite, insufficient funds to purchase food items, inability to transport food purchases, and/or the inability to prepare meals. Malnutrition also occurs when nutritional requirements increase during growth, illness, or recovery from illness, and someone is unable to meet those needs. Malnutrition occurs when there is impaired nutrient absorption, transportation, or utilization. These criteria indicate that, somewhere along the digestive tract, the body was unable to properly absorb or use nutrients.
Meals on Wheels is helping in the fight against malnutrition by increasing our offerings to provide a greater variety of food and nutrients. Our goals are to provide food people want to eat, exceed Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), improve nutrition knowledge, and increase the number of people we serve each day.
If you or someone you know is at risk for malnutrition, it is best to take action as soon as possible to prevent, stop, and reverse malnutrition. Call your doctor if you are concerned. Set an appointment to discuss your concerns and ask for a referral to meet with a registered dietitian.
