The Macmillan Press Ltd. Malnutrition - any disorder of nutrition due to unbalanced or insufficient diet, or to defective assimilation or utilization of foods. Malnutrition is a condition that is measurable by certain physical, biochemical, anthropometric and dietary intake assessments. Source CRS Report for Congress. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Starvation is an extreme form of hunger.
The underlying problem is chronic malnutrition the lack of enough calories and nutrients to sustain normal growth, health, and activity. Fact Sheet on Hunger. Malnutrition is the situation in which the body is lacking the raw materials from food to function properly. If denied food for long periods of time, physiological and physical changes occur. Both unbalanced and inadequate diets can lead to malnutrition .