Wasting

Wasting refers to the act of using or expending resources in a careless, inefficient, or unnecessary manner, resulting in depletion, loss, or reduced value. It can apply to tangible resources such as food, energy, water, and materials, as well as intangible ones like time and capital. Wasting is often contrasted with conservation or efficient use.

In nutrition and health, wasting denotes significant unintended weight loss or muscle wasting, frequently from malnutrition, chronic illness, or inflammatory conditions. In children, wasting is assessed by weight-for-height or body mass index, indicating acute malnutrition. Wasting increases susceptibility to infection and can worsen prognosis in chronic diseases.

In households and industries, waste includes discarded food, unused products, energy losses from inefficiency, water leakage, and overproduction. Causes range from spoilage and poor planning to faulty equipment or behavioral factors. Wasting has environmental footprints through resource depletion and greenhouse gas emissions, and economic costs due to lost inputs and reduced productivity.

Mitigation involves prevention, detection, and recovery: improving supply chains and inventory management, adopting energy-efficient technologies, reducing leakage, improving storage, and education about consumption. Policies such as date labeling reform, incentives for donation of surplus edible food, and standards for efficiency also aim to reduce waste. In healthcare and social programs, attention to underlying conditions and nutritional support can address wasting in patients and at-risk populations.