View source for Wasting

{{short description|Loss of muscle and fat tissue}}
{{further|Malnutrition}}
{{about|the medical syndrome|similar terms with different meanings|Waste (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting.png|thumb|300px|World Map - Share of children with a weight too low for their height (wasting)]]
In medicine, '''wasting''', also known as '''wasting syndrome''', refers to the process by which a debilitating [[disease]] causes [[muscle]] and [[fat]] [[biological tissue|tissue]] to "waste" away. Wasting is sometimes referred to as "acute malnutrition" because it is believed that episodes of wasting have a short duration, in contrast to [[stunted growth|stunting]], which is regarded as chronic malnutrition. An estimated 45 million children under 5 years of age (or 6.7%) were wasted in 2021.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240025257|title=UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group joint child malnutrition estimates: levels and trends in child malnutrition: key findings of the 2021 edition|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|date=5 May 2021|isbn=9789240025257|pages=}}</ref>{{rp|4}} Wasting prevalence declined from 7.5% in 2012 to 6.8% in 2022, with 6.2% of children under five years old projected to be wasted in 2030, more than double the 3% [[Sustainable Development Goals]] target.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=FAO |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd1254en |title=The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 |last2=IFAD |last3=UNICEF |last4=WFP |last5=WHO |date=2024 |publisher=FAO; IFAD; UNICEF; WFP; WHO |isbn=978-92-5-138882-2 |language=English |doi=10.4060/cd1254en}}</ref> [[Prevalence]] is highest in [[United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia|Southern Asia]], followed by [[Oceania]] (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and [[South-eastern Asia]].<ref name=":0" />{{rp|14}}

==Causes==
Wasting can be caused by an extremely low energy intake (e.g., caused by [[famine]]), nutrient losses due to [[infection]], or a combination of low intake and high loss. Infections and conditions associated with wasting include [[tuberculosis]], chronic [[diarrhea]], [[AIDS]], and [[superior mesenteric artery syndrome]]. The mechanism may involve [[cachectin]] – also called tumor necrosis factor, a [[macrophage]]-secreted [[cytokine]]. Caretakers and health providers can sometimes contribute to wasting if the patient is placed on an improper diet. Voluntary weight loss and [[eating disorder]]s are excluded as causes of wasting.

==Diagnosis==
===Classification===
* Children: Weight-for-height (WFH). In infants under 24 months, recumbent (supine) length is used. WFH as % of median reference value is calculated this way:

:<math>\mathrm{WFH} = \frac{\mbox{weight of a given child}}{\mbox{median weight for a given child of that height}} \times 100</math>

Cutoff points may vary, but <80% (close to −2 [[Z-score]]) is often used.
* Adults:
** [[Body Mass Index]] (BMI) is the quotient between weight and height squared (kg/m<sup>2</sup>). An individual with a BMI < 18.5 is regarded as a case of wasting.
** Percent of body weight lost (At Tufts, an unintentional loss of 6% or more in 6 months is regarded as wasting)

==Treatment ==
Antiretrovirals and anabolic steroids have been used to treat HIV wasting syndrome.<ref>Michael Powers, "Performance-Enhancing Drugs" in Joel Houglum, in Gary L. Harrelson, Deidre Leaver-Dunn, "Principles of Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers", SLACK Incorporated, 2005, {{ISBN|1-55642-594-5}}, p. 330</ref> Additionally, an increase in protein-rich foods such as [[peanut butter]] and [[legumes|legumes (dried beans and peas)]] can assist in controlling the loss of muscle mass.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiv.va.gov/patient/diagnosis/OI-wasting-syndrome.asp|title=HIV wasting syndrome - HIV/AIDS|website=www.hiv.va.gov|access-date=20 August 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Anorexia (symptom)|Anorexia]]
* [[Atrophy]]
* [[Cachexia]]
* [[Superior mesenteric artery syndrome]]
* [[Weight loss]]

== Sources ==
{{Free-content attribution
| title = The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024
| author = FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO
| publisher = FAO
| documentURL = https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd1254en
| license = CC BY 4.0
}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{wiktionary|wasting}}
* [https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm Chronic Wasting Disease and Potential Transmission to Humans, Center for Disease Control and Prevention]
* [http://www.tufts.edu/med/nutrition-infection/hiv/health_weight_loss.html Unintentional Weight Loss/Wasting, Tufts University Nutrition/Infection Unit]

[[Category:Symptoms and signs]]