To diagnose malnutrition, a healthcare professional will:

• Do a physical examination
• Ask you about your diet, eating habits, and ability to do daily activities
• Check your weight
• Review your medications because some may cause you to be less hungry or poorly absorb nutrition
• Give you a nutrition questionnaire
• Order lab tests
• Ask questions about memory and mood

A person may have malnutrition if they have:

• An unplanned weight loss of 10 pounds or more than 5 percent of normal body weight over 6 to 12 months
• Lost at least 10 percent of their body weight, in the last six months
• A Body Mass Index (BMI or a measure of body fat) lower than 17 percent, which means undernutrition
• A BMI greater than 30 percent, which means overnutrition and obesity 

Last Updated January 2023