Not having enough food to develop or function formally; SYN. malnourishment.
Condition that results from consuming too little food over a period of time. Like malnutrition—the result of a diet that is lacking in certain nutrients (such as protein or vitamins)—undernourishment is common in poor countries. Both lead to a reduction in mental and physical efficiency, a lowering of resistance to disease in general, and often to deficiency diseases such as beriberi or anemia. In the Third World, lack of adequate food is a common cause of death.