The term ‘malnutrition’ is used to describe a deficiency, excess or imbalance of a wide range of nutrients, resulting in measurable adverse effects on body composition, function and clinical outcome. As such, it can refer to individuals who are either over- or under-nourished, although it is usually used synonymously with undernutrition, as here. Although it is well known that malnutrition is common in the developing world, the fact that it occurs quite frequently in UK health settings as a consequence of either psychosocial circumstances or the effects of illness or injury is not widely appreciated.