What happens to the body in marasmus disease?
When the body is deprived of energy from food, it begins to feed on its own tissues — first adipose tissue (body fat) and then muscle. It also begins shutting down some of its functions to conserve energy. Cardiac activity slows down, causing low heart rate, low blood pressure and low body temperature. In some cases, this leads to heart failure. The immune system is also compromised, making undernourished people more prone to infection and illness and slower to recover.
Children with chronic marasmus will not have the physical resources to grow and develop as they should. They may be stunted in size or have developmental delays or intellectual disabilities. These effects can be lasting, even in children who receive treatment. Parts of the digestive system also begin to atrophy from the lack of use. This means that even when people do have food to eat, they might not be able to absorb nutrition from their food effectively. Ironically, marasmus can lead to food aversion.
