Why do malnurished patients get edema?

Kwashiorkor: Kwashiorkor is a disease found in severely malnourished patients. It is due to a severe lack of protein. Lack of protein which binds fluid in the blood is then free to invade gravitationally into the tissue, particularly to the lower abdomen. Think of pictures of severely malnourished children in countries with famine: they commonly have severely protruding stomachs: lack of protein.