What are metabolic disorders?

Metabolic disorders are when your body has trouble turning food into energy or using it properly.

Imagine you have a toy car that needs batteries to run. Normally, when you put in new batteries, the car zooms around happily. But if the battery compartment is broken or doesn’t fit the right kind of batteries, the car can't move as well, maybe it only goes slowly or not at all. Metabolic disorders are like that broken battery compartment. Your body still gets food (like batteries), but it can't use it properly to make energy.

If you have a metabolic disorder, your body might feel tired more easily, or you might get hungry often because it's not using the food right. Sometimes, it can even cause extra weight gain or trouble growing, like when your toy car only moves part of the way and gets stuck.

Sometimes, these problems happen because a special helper in your body, like a tiny worker, isn’t doing its job correctly. These helpers are called enzymes, and they help break down food into energy. If they're missing or broken, it's harder for your body to work the way it should.