Translation guide
The condition of not getting enough nutrients, either from not eating enough or from poor diet quality.
Describing the state of being malnourished, often due to insufficient food or poor diet.
The standard medical and general term for malnutrition. Refers to a state where the body is not getting adequate nutrition.
He was hospitalized for malnutrition.
Literally 'poor nutrition'. Often used in contexts of inadequate diet quality rather than quantity, but can overlap with malnutrition.
I got sick due to poor nutrition.
Literally 'undernutrition'. Often used in medical or public health contexts to describe insufficient intake of calories or nutrients.
Undernutrition among the elderly is becoming a problem.
Emphasizing extreme lack of food leading to emaciation or starvation.
When the body cannot absorb nutrients properly, even if food intake is adequate.
Malabsorption. Often used in medical contexts when the digestive system fails to absorb nutrients.
I was diagnosed with malabsorption syndrome.
栄養失調 is the most direct translation of 'malnutrition' and is widely understood. 栄養不良 emphasizes poor quality of diet, while 低栄養 is a technical term for undernutrition, often used in geriatric or public health contexts.
Do not try to translate 'mal-' directly with prefixes like 悪い (warui) or 不 (fu) in this context. The established terms are 栄養失調 and 栄養不良.
There is a constant stream of people dying of starvation.