ABSTRACT
Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is an important factor affecting physical growth and performance, and psychological development. From the western point of view, malnutrition is defined as dietary inadequacy of energy and or protein. The contributing causes of the imbalance of protein and energy intakes of the population are economic, social and cultural. The PEM effects range from mild to severe, depending on the intensity, duration and timing of the stress. The mild-to-moderate effects on health are more difficult to specify compared to clinical manifestation of the severe forms. Moreover, the great variety of the methodologies used in various studies and ambiguity in terminology, and the general unfamiliarity with the ethiology of the disease make it difficult to obtain a consensus among scholars on the specifics of PEM and its effects.
