Malnutrition and Obesity Can Co-Exist

Malnutrition and obesity? Talk about an unlikely combination, but I can attest that these two problems can exist in the same body.

I’ve never been delighted to visit the doctor. Since I’ve gained weight, I’ve noticed that everything from diabetes to strep throat has been blamed on my obesity. I was sure the doctor was going to address my exhaustion by urging me, yet again, to lose weight. Instead, she looked at my lab results and said, “Do you know you’re severely malnourished?”

“Malnourished? I’ve got to way at least 250 pounds!”

“Actually, it’s 262 this visit. But you’re still malnourished.”

That was the first time I learned that malnutrition and obesity can go hand in hand.

The truth is, there are many people in the United States who exhibit signs of both malnutrition and obesity. This is true for several reasons. The top two, as well as possible solutions, are discussed in this article.

#1. Lifestyle choices

I have friends who swear they got fat eating nothing but carrots and celery. For all I know, they may be telling the absolute truth. But most of us got fat eating foods that aren’t particularly good for us. Too many fast food hamburgers, too many hot fudge sundaes, and too many fries smothered in cheddar cheese and served with ice cold beer take their toll on our waistlines. The problem is, none of these foods are particularly nourishing. The calories we’re getting are empty, so while we may grow obese from this diet, we will also be severely malnourished.

#2. The Diet Industry

If any other industry took in as much money as the diet industry does and showed so few results, they would be run out of town on a rail. But for some reason, we are willing to tolerate an industry that tells us to take unproven and potentially lethal medications, fill up on high calorie and high sugar shakes instead of fruits and vegetables, cut entire food groups out of our diet, and eat fat until our arteries are so clogged our hearts can barely beat. Again, few of these diet industry foods provide the real nourishment we need to be healthy. And, since most people quickly regain the weight they have lost while dieting, we again see malnutrition and obesity co-existing in the same individual.

If you’re going to be obese—and many of us are due to medications, hormonal conditions, food choices, and plain old luck of the genetic draw—then at least be obese and well nourished. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) you should be getting the following nutrients in your diet: at least six servings of bread (whole wheat if possible), rice, pasta; at least three servings of vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables; and at least two servings of fruits, dairy products, meat/protein products. You are also allotted about two hundred calories that are the nutritional equivalent of “mad money.” In other words, you don’t have to abandon foods you love entirely; just cut back on the amount you meat every day.

Malnutrition and obesity can make you feel exhausted, queasy, weak, and depressed. If you improve your eating habits, even if you don’t shed a pound, you’re practically guaranteed to feel better just because your body is finally getting the nutrition it has craved all along.