Nutritional disorders

The concept of positive health explained earlier, is based on smooth working of the entire complex multiple metabolic processes in the body. These processes channelise energy requirements from the food intake. A balanced diet is, therefore, a prime requisite of health. By balanced diet is meant proper intake of all principles of food—proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins, adequate in quality as well as quantity. Not only will deficient nutrition result in improper growth and development but also will lead to disease. Thus, deficiency of protein can lead to liver disease, deficiency of iron to anaemias, various vitamin deficiencies to diseases like scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C), rickets (of vitamin D), night blindness (of vitamin A), beriberi (of vitamin B), etc.