www.european-nutrition.org
Welcome
In the current era of the obesity epidemic, most attention from policymakers and health promotion campaigns is aimed at reducing caloric intake and improving nutritional habits. Yet a forgotten facet of poor nutrition is malnourishment, defined as an imbalance of energy, protein, and other nutrients that causes measurable adverse effects on tissue and body form and function as well as clinical outcomes.
Studies have shown that up to 40% of patients are malnourished upon admission to hospital. Malnutrition is severely unrecognised in hospitals, nursing homes and the community.
Malnutrition is a particular problem in ageing populations: metabolic and physiological changes associated with the ageing process render older people particularly susceptible to mineral and nutrient deficiencies. Malnutrition is not only a problem on its own: it compromises the health outcomes of individuals, may delay the speed of recovery and increase mortality. The impact on population health is significant, as is the burden to individuals and their carers, not to mention the economic impact on the health care system.
Yet awareness of this issue is low - not only amongst the general public, but within the medical and nursing professions and amongst health care managers, health insurers, patients, policymakers and politicians.
This website is dedicated to helping European stakeholders work with the challenges that malnutrition impose on all areas of their societies.
Visitors to this site will be able to access research documents, Government papers, presentations, facts and figures.
