Hunger, Famine & Malnutrition: Definitions, Causes & Impacts

Three interrelated but distinct concepts:

Concept	Definition	Primary Causes	Impact
Hunger	Physiological sensation from food lack; short-term, alleviated by eating.	Poverty, access barriers, crop failure.	Discomfort, irritability, reduced function.
Famine	Widespread, severe food scarcity causing starvation/death.	Drought, flood, war, political collapse.	Mass mortality, displacement, societal breakdown.
Malnutrition	Deficiency/excess/imbalance of essential nutrients.	Poverty, poor diet quality, disease, malabsorption.	Stunting, cognitive impairment, immune compromise, organ damage.

They overlap: famine causes malnutrition; malnutrition increases hunger vulnerability. Comprehensive food security strategies must address all three.