What term describes the condition of having insufficient food and nutrients?

The term that describes the condition of having insufficient food and nutrients is malnutrition. This condition can occur not only because of a lack of food intake but also due to an imbalance in the nutrition consumed; for example, a person may have access to food but still be malnourished if their diet lacks essential vitamins and minerals or includes too much of unhealthy food.

Malnutrition encompasses both undernutrition, which refers to not getting enough calories or nutrients, and overnutrition, where one may consume excessive calories without adequate nutritional value. This condition can lead to various health issues, including weakened immunity, stunted growth in children, and chronic diseases in adults.

By contrast, obesity refers to an excessive amount of body fat, often resulting from overconsumption of calories without sufficient physical activity, which also indicates a problem with nutrition but in the opposite direction. Dehydration is a lack of adequate water intake, which, while serious, is not directly related to food or nutrient insufficiency. Hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar levels, which can occur for various reasons, including nutritional deficiencies but doesn't specifically describe overall food inadequacy. Thus, malnutrition is the term that accurately encompasses the overall condition of having inadequate food and nutrients.