Malnutrition, clearly, is not a simple problem with a single, simple solution. Malnutrition lowers the body's ability to resist infection by undermining the functioning of the main immune-response mechanisms. This leads to longer, more severe and more frequent episodes of illness.
Infections cause loss of appetite, malabsorption and metabolic and behavioural changes.
These, in turn, increase the body's requirements for nutrients, which further affects young children's eating patterns and how they are cared for. In rural areas, household food security may depend on access to land and other agricultural resources to guar antee sufficient domestic production. In urban areas, where food is largely bought on the market, a range of foods must be available at accessible prices to ensure food security. Other potential sources of food are by exchange, gifts from friends or family and in extreme circumstances food aid provided by humanitarian agencies. For instance, there may be abundant food available on the market, but poor families that cannot afford it are not food secure.