Given the fat-phobic society we live in, there is a ton of fear about overeating. Sometimes people find it difficult to consistently eat much more than their body needs, which by the way has a lot more to do with things like restraint response, trauma, food access, anxiety and depression than by force of will. Because there is so much fear of overeating, the risk of undereating is minimized.
The way “healthy eating” is often taught is to teach people to eat as little as possible without getting tired. Of course, this is not actually healthy eating. Hopefully you are well aware of my hierarchy of nutritional needs, where adequacy is the base of the pyramid. Because “weight management” and “healthy eating” have become synonymous, what most people think of as healthy is actually limiting. I often ask new clients what they think a healthy eating day looks like and 9 times out of 10 they describe a pretty picky eating day. What they think is an appropriate amount of food is actually barely enough for a small child.
Because energy needs vary from person to person, malnutrition looks different for everyone. There is no caloric amount that defines malnutrition. If you’re wondering if you might not be eating enough, here are 9 symptoms of malnutrition.
9 symptoms of malnutrition
Anxiety or irritability.
If you have experienced a hangover then you know what I mean! We all know how short-term hunger can affect mood, but long-term malnutrition can have a more significant impact than simply pulling your partner when dinner is late on the table. An underpowered brain will struggle with mood regulation. Studies have shown higher levels of tension, anger, fatigue and confusion in people with higher levels of hunger. If you’re struggling with mood or experiencing higher levels of stress, your brain may need more fuel, especially if you’re dieting or struggling with disordered eating. For more on the relationship between stress and hunger, read this blog post.
You think about food all the time.
One of the ways our brain signals that it’s time to eat is by directing thoughts to food. Makes sense, huh? You may notice this when the clock ticks towards lunchtime and you suddenly find it difficult to concentrate as your brain wanders to what could be served in the lunch cafeteria. Totally normal stuff! However, if thoughts of food consume your day, it’s likely to be a symptom of malnutrition.
A classic example of this is the Minnesota Hunger Study, where a group of physically and mentally healthy men were put on a semi-starvation diet (although I will note that it was an amount of calories that most people would not consider starvation – higher than many weight loss diets!). The men experienced significant physical and mental side effects, one of which was an obsession with food. They exchanged recipes and collected cookbooks, talked about food, and lost interest in school, sex, and hobbies, all because they were constantly thinking about food. While it’s possible your interest is just an interest, it can also be a symptom of malnutrition.
Low energy.
Food is our fuel. We don’t photosynthesize or take gas or use batteries. We eat food, break it down into smaller nutrients, namely amino acids, fatty acids and glucose, and use these nutrients to fuel all our bodily processes – walking, talking, thinking, breathing, etc. So it makes sense that a symptom of underconsumption is low energy levels. If you’re tired all the time or struggling with low energy despite getting enough sleep, lack of food may be the reason.
You often feel dizzy or lightheaded.
When your body lacks fuel, you may experience low blood sugar, which is defined as blood glucose less than 70 mg/dL. Usually when blood sugar drops, your body will tap into reserve glucose stores stored in the liver. If you suffer from chronic malnutrition, these reserves may be low and put you at greater risk of low blood sugar and the resulting lightheadedness and dizziness.
Constipation, severe bloating or alternating diarrhea and constipation.
When you eat less food, there’s less bulk to keep things moving through the digestive tract, which can lead to constipation. Also, when you eat, it activates waves of muscle movement that push food through the digestive tract, a process called peristalsis. I explain it to my clients as the drunk guy at a football game who takes the wave if you want a fun visual for it! When you go long hours without eating, it doesn’t trigger these waves of muscle movement, keeping food stuck in the intestines longer. When food is in your digestive system for a longer period of time, there is more fermentation and gas. For some people with constipation, things can get to the point where eventually the pressure quickly pushes things through, resulting in diarrhea.
Loss of menstrual cycle.
There are many causes of amenorrhea, but the most common is chronic malnutrition. Your body tightly regulates energy balance, and when you don’t eat enough, it will make changes to conserve energy. It saves energy for more vital activities (like, you know, breathing, heart rate, that sort of thing) and slows down non-essential areas like your period/preparation for a pregnancy your body isn’t getting enough nourishment to carry.
Binge eating.
While binge eating can occur for reasons other than restriction, the most common cause is undereating. I explain this to my clients using a pendulum analogy. Not eating enough pulls the pendulum back toward restraint, and then when a little slip happens, the pendulum swings the other way toward overeating. While overeating can feel scary and out of control, it’s important to remember that it’s just your body’s way of protecting you from starvation.
