A reduced protein intake over an extended period of time leads eventually to depletion of the tissue reserve (decreased proteins in the body) and then to lowering of blood protein levels.

It is recognized that wide spread malnutrition prevalent among the poor socio-economic groups of our population is largely attributed to economic factor. However it cannot be denied that social and cultural factors also contribute significantly to the overall picture of malnutrition in our poor communities. Faulty feeding habits arising from ignorance, superstitions and wrong food beliefs must be considered as being responsible for aggravating malnutrition in such communities. Among the most vulnerable segments of population from the nutritional standpoint are infant and young children, and it is therefore, not surprising that PEM in children belonging to the poor, socio-economic classes is a major public health problem in our country

Among these, protein calorie malnutrition: kwashiorkor & marasmus are very common in children in India.