Malnutrition is caused by a diet lacking in the proper mix of nutrients, even though the energy content of the food eaten may be adequate.
Undernourishment is experienced when the daily caloric intake is insufficient to meet the metabolic needs of a person.
Although there are cases of malnourished and undernourished people in the U.S., 66% of the adult population is classified as overweight with almost half of that population classified as obese.
Obesity and its related adverse health effects are overtaking smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.