Obesity and Malnutrition: Why Do They Occur Together?

Obesity Epidemic Paradox #3: Obesity often co-exists with malnutrition.

The Caloric Balance Hypothesis tells us that overeating will make us fat and that under-eating will make us thin. The Lipophilia Hypothesis tells us that the situation is more complicated -- our fat tissue essentially "works for itself."

The coexistence of obesity and malnutrition conflicts with the predictions of Caloric Balance. It does not conflict with the predictions of Lipophilia. After all, according to Lipophilia, obesity does not signal "overnourishment." It signals a metabolic/hormonal defect.

1. 'The Argentinean paradox: the case of contradictory child malnutrition epidemics.'

From the abstract:

"From the nutritional standpoint, Argentina exhibits a kaleidoscopic health profile that is unexplainable from the rational logic. On the one side, severe cases of malnourished children are violently exposed through the media as unexpected breaking news... from the nutritional point of view, Argentina shows a contradictory picture characterized by the coexistence of malnutrition and excess food production. Argentina ranks fifth among food exporting countries in the world... Amid the prevalence of chronic malnutrition... Obesity is becoming a public health problem and the new face of poverty affecting families."[1]

These researchers tell us that the coexistence of obesity and malnourishment in Argentina is 'unexplainable from the rational logic' because they're stuck in the paradigm of "calories count." If only calories 'count,' how can you account for why the morbidly obese often live shoulder to shoulder with the famished? It doesn't make any sense.

2. For more evidence, watch this video to hear Gary Taubes discuss this phenomenon at length.

References