If a very obese person loses a lot of weight, they may still be overweight – but nevertheless already malnourished. Particularly in the case of overweight people, however, both relatives and many doctors often pay too little attention to weight loss or even perceive it as positive. Therefore, malnutrition in them is often overlooked or noticed only very late.
In addition, severe obesity appears to make it more difficult to utilize certain nutrients. An Australian study showed that the risk of a deficiency of vitamin D, folic acid, magnesium and potassium increases with increasing body weight. Such purely qualitative malnutrition is often accompanied by a loss of fat and muscle mass only in the late stages.
In a German study, participants showed a range of deficiencies in various micronutrients.
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Malnutrition – The underestimated risk
