MALNUTRITION is no longer only a problem for poor countries, said experts who warned that more than a million older people in the UK could be affected by the condition.

More must be done to tackle the condition which occurs when a person's diet doesn't contain the right amount of nutrients, the Malnutrition Task Force said.

The group said that the problem is "often overlooked".

The comments come as a new poll released by the body found that many health workers do not believe that the issue is a priority in their organisation.

The survey of 1,500 health and care workers across the UK found that only 51% said malnutrition was a priority in their organisations.

Worryingly, only 47 per cent felt confident that their knowledge and skills were sufficient to help people most at risk, the poll found.

Experts say that around 1.3 million older people in the UK suffer from malnutrition.

Dianne Jeffrey, who chairs the Malnutrition Task Force and charity Age UK, said: "Eating and drinking well is a vital part of maintaining good health and independence.”

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