What is the difference between malnutrition and famine?

As a physician, I'd like to clarify the important distinction between malnutrition and famine.

Malnutrition is a physiological condition resulting from inadequate, excessive, or imbalanced nutrient intake. It can manifest in several forms - undernutrition (insufficient calories/nutrients), overnutrition (excessive intake), or specific nutrient deficiencies despite adequate caloric intake. Malnutrition affects individuals across all socioeconomic backgrounds and even occurs in wealthy nations. Its causes range from poverty and food insecurity to medical conditions that impair nutrient absorption or increase nutritional needs.

Famine, in contrast, is a widespread socioeconomic disaster characterized by severe food shortages affecting large populations within a geographic region. Famines typically result from complex factors including crop failures, economic collapse, political instability, conflict, or environmental disasters. During famines, malnutrition becomes prevalent but represents just one consequence alongside social breakdown, mass migration, and increased mortality.

The key difference lies in scale and causation: malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting individuals for various reasons, while famine is a catastrophic event causing widespread hunger and social disruption across entire populations.