How do people get marasmus?
                                
                                
                                •
                                
                                
                        
                                    
                                    5 min read                                
                            
                                Worldwide, the most common cause of malnutrition is inadequate food intake. This severe condition, known as marasmus, is a form of protein-energy undernutrition resulting from a prolonged deficiency of both calories and protein. It is not simply hunger, but a complex series of physiological and social factors that lead to this life-threatening state.