Ageneral lack of nutrition and wasting occurring in the course of a chronic disease is known as:

A general lack of nutrition and wasting occurring in the course of a chronic disease is known as CACHEXIA.
Patients suffering from chronic diseases often have low appetite which may it difficult for them to eat the quantity of food that their body systems need, the body has to make up for this lack by using the storage of fat they already have in their bodies. This leads to emaciated look and greatly reduced body weight.

That statement is true.