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Despite the scale of the problem, malnutrition does not receive the
recognition it deserves - a fact reinforced by an overwhelming 90%
of the GPs surveyed who agreed that the issue of malnutrition in the
UK is not given enough focus.
Malnutrition is common in all age
groups, although significantly more so in individuals over 65 years
and is more prevalent in people with existing illnesses such as
cancer, HIV/AIDS and dementia to name but a few. Yet less than half
of respondents were able to identify these causes of malnutrition.
Malnourished patients have increased
healthcare costs with 65% more GP visits, 82% more hospital
admissions and 30% longer hospital stays than patients without
malnutrition. Public expenditure on disease-related malnutrition in
the UK in 2007 was estimated to be in excess of £13 billion per
annum. This is considerably more than the cost of obesity.
Additional groups considered ‘at
risk’ include the frail and elderly and individuals who are
suffering from chronic conditions. It is at these times when
patients are most vulnerable to malnutrition and it seems that
patients and carers may be missing key warning signs, such as
unintentional weight loss. When concerns are raised, patients and
carers should ensure they are screened for malnutrition risk and are
receiving the necessary nutrition support.
Dr Mike Stroud, chairman of BAPEN
states “Malnutrition is a very common problem in the UK and patients
would clearly benefit if it was recognised and treated promptly. The
challenge is to ensure that all health professionals understand the
scale of the problem and take it seriously”.
Peterborough UK Community Website
- October 2009
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