Ho can you be 600 +lbs and malnourished?

Question

I was watching a documentary on a man that was well over 600lbs as i was watching i heard them say "although he's 600 +lbs he's at his weakest and malnourished" I couldn't believe it. I didn't catch the rest of it because my cable unexpectedly blacked out and i missed the replay beacuse i fell alseep. My question is how could someone be over 600 lbs and malnourished?

Answer 1

Because calories don't equal nutrition.

From http://www.dietbites.com/Body-Fat-Files/malnourished.html :

A common misperception of overweight individuals is, "If an individual is overweight, they are getting all the daily nutrients they require and then some."

Fact is, many - if not most, overweight individuals are malnourished. The common diet of an overweight individual comprises of foods that are high in calories and high in fat with little, if any necessary nutrients. When the body doesn't get the vitamins and minerals it requires, it may feel tired, achy, irritable, as if locked in a mental fog.

Even foods that appear to be filled with precious nutrients on the surface may prove deceptive. When vegetables are fried, boiled to death, or nakified (removal of peeling) they lose a great deal of their powerful nutrients. Just as body heat destroys and fights infection, heat applied to vegetables destroys precious vitamins and nutrients.

When the body is depleted of precious nutrients and reaches a malnourished state - which is a highly delicate and fragile state, it may take several months for the nutrients to be replenished.

Answer 2

I watched the same documentary... notice he only ate junk food, which has no significant nutrients at all. He ate mostly chips, twinkies, and other processed foods. Although you may think this is FOOD, it really is labeled empty calories, because the calories you're consuming are not nutritional calories. Most of those pre-packaged foods are just loaded in sodium, which is not part of the healthy pyramid.

So, basically he as 600lbs of junk food calories---so totally malnourished in vitamins, iron, protien, magnesium, fiber, etc.

Answer 3

Just because you are getting a lot of calories doesn't mean you are getting the proper nutrients, vitamins, minerals etc. If you are eating nothing but cookies, you can easily weigh 600 lbs and be malnourished.

Answer 4

Eating a lot does not mean you are getting all the nutrients you need.

Essential vitamins, minerals and fats are contained in 'healthy' foods, such as fruit, veg, beans, pulses etc. If we don't get enough of this, we will be malnourished, even if we eat way too much.

Unhealthy food, such as fast foot, fried food, animals fats and chemicals in food have several effects: They put a lot of strain on the liver, which is responsible for detoxifying our bodies, generally contain high contents of fat, salt, sugar which have adverse effects on our bodies, and can deplete our bodies of nutrients. For example, phosphorus, which is abundant in fizzy drinks, 'leeches' the calcium out of bones. This sort of food isn't bad now and again, but only if we are eating all the good stuff as well!

Best wishes.

Answer 5

You're not getting a balenced diet those you're not getting proper nourishment and the nutrients you need from what you're eating.

For example if someone eats candy, cupcakes or whatever else all day (and little else) they could very easily develop scurvey due to lack of fruits and vegatables in their diet. Most likely the guy was eating nothing but meat and sweets and no vegatables and became malnourished because of it.

It's quite possible to suffer malnutrition due to the lack of a balenced diet even if someone is consuming absolutely monstorous numbers of calories.

Answer 6

as a personal trainer i can an answer your question cause i also know a little about nutrion,the reason why he is malnourished is the quality of food hes eating,proably alot of junk food and not getting the right nutrients and vitamins he needs,too much fat and calories and not the right things he needs for his body.you dont have to be a 90lb weakling to be malnourished.its not about the sizeof the person its about what kind of food you are takingin and the junk can malnourish you.

Answer 7

The reality is that most people who are that big really are malnourished because yes, they eat a lot of food, but they don't eat the right kinds of foods to give them the proper vitamins and other nourishment that they need.

Answer 8

Because he probably doesn't eat a good diet, nor do people that weigh that much usually excercise regularly.

Eating a healthy diet and keeping your body in shape are the best ways to combat weight gain.

Answer 9

Becauae i beleive he didnt get 600 lbs eating veggies. Most people that eat well balanced meals aren't 600 lbs unless they have health issues and usually they would have them looked at.

Answer 10

If you eat nothing but potato chips and twinkies all day, you can be obese and malnourished. You need food with nutrition, not just food.