ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is a big word that describes a sickness that happens when someone doesn't eat enough food with the right stuff inside to make their body healthy.

Think of your body like a car that needs gasoline to run smoothly. Just like how the car needs the right fuel, your body needs different types of food to work properly. For example, your body needs protein from sources like meat, eggs, beans, and nuts to help your muscles and organs grow and stay strong.

But sometimes, people don't have enough money or don’t get access to food that has enough protein and other important nutrients. When this happens, their bodies can start to get sick and not work like they should. Kwashiorkor is a type of sickness that happens when people don't get enough protein.

Kwashiorkor can cause all sorts of problems in the body. It can make someone's belly swollen and hurt, their hair can fall out, and their skin can get dry and flaky. They might also get really tired and weak because their body is using up all its energy to try and fix the problems.

Luckily, doctors can help people with kwashiorkor by giving them food that has the right nutrients to help their body heal. So it's important to remember to eat a variety of foods to make sure you're giving your body all the fuel it needs to stay healthy and strong!
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