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There are many types of malnutrition that vary in severity. Some of the most severe types of malnutrition include:

• Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Malnutrition characterized by a deficiency in protein, a macronutrient. It is often also accompanied by a deficit in many micronutrients. It is most common in developing countries, where it is one of the biggest killers of children. PEM is relatively rare in children in the United States, although it is becoming more prevalent in elderly people, often due to poor diet. Kwashiorkor is a severe type of PEM that results from a deficiency in protein with an adequate intake of calories and is often associated with edema (swelling). The best known marker of kwashiorkor is an abnormally swollen stomach. Marasmus is another type of PEM, more severe than kwashiorkor. It involves a deficiency in both protein and calories and can result in emaciation, starvation and, eventually, death.
  
  
• Starvation. The most extreme form of malnutrition. It results from a partial or total lack of essential nutrients for a long time. It can be caused by fasting, famine, anorexia nervosa or an event that suddenly upsets eating patterns or absorption, such as coma, stroke or severe gastrointestinal disorders. In the event of starvation, the body uses its own tissue as an energy source, often resulting in intestinal and muscle tissue loss. Left untreated, it can result in death in as little as eight weeks.
  
  
• Obesity (a body mass index of greater than 30 with an excess of body fat). Obesity is often caused by a sedentary lifestyle and chronic overconsumption of calories, although there are medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and Cushing’s syndrome that can also cause obesity. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is usually associated with an overconsumption of calories, but an imbalance of nutrients in the diet can make obesity a form of malnutrition.