How Appearance Deceives: The Hidden Face of Malnutrition
- Sheza T.
- Jul 6
- 3 min read
Imagine a physically fit individual. What comes to mind? For most people, it is someone who is slender and has healthy hair, nails, and teeth. Yet, the fundamental determinant of fitness is almost always overlooked: proper nutritional intake. Nutrition builds the foundation of one's overall health, supplying them with the necessary nutrients to function. Neglecting to consume meals with proper nutritional value for one’s body type can result in hair loss, teeth decay, inhibited growth of nails and bones, and many other ailments that affect the internal processes of the body.
The hectic urban life has made the average person increasingly susceptible to nutritional deficiencies. This is primarily because the majority of people choose to consume fast food over home-cooked meals, owing to its cheapness, convenience, and accessibility. Furthermore, fast food is primarily composed of sodium, sugars, and fats [1] which contribute to their addictive nature, making them easy to over- consume. Consequently, an alarmingly high number of individuals are at an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease [2].
Despite this, nutritional deficiency is often perceived as having a single, universal image—the emaciated figure portrayed in textbooks. This misconception reiterates the stigma surrounding individuals who appear either physically ‘fit’ or ‘overweight,’ discouraging them from acknowledging or seeking help for nutritional deficiencies. Malnutrition can affect individuals across the body-weight spectrum, from those who appear physically fit to those who are obese.
Approximately 2 billion ‘obese’ people are classified as ‘malnourished’ [3], as diets high in ultra-processed foods provide ample energy but insufficient essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Similarly, individuals who appear physically fit may also experience malnutrition, often by engaging in harmful and/or restrictive diets without professional guidance. For instance, ketogenic diets have been shown to lower blood levels of triglycerides and increase LDL cholesterol in individuals [4]. Even many athletes, who are hailed as the pinnacle of physical fitness, are reported to face forms of malnutrition, namely relative energy deficiency and micronutrient deficiencies. This is largely due to their diet comprising high glycemic foods, excess omega-6 lipid consumption [5], and insufficient energy intake relative to training demands, as well as inadequate intake of essential micronutrients.
Raising youth awareness of this issue is critical, as dietary guidance for adolescents in their formative years can create lifelong habits. Numerous studies underscore the importance of adequate nutrient intake during adolescence for optimal physical and cognitive development. Maintaining a balanced diet, eating regular meals, undergoing routine medical check-ups and blood tests when appropriate, and engaging in regular physical activity are all practical measures that can help individuals monitor and improve their nutritional status. In a society that equates health with appearance, it is indispensable that young people remain aware of their nutritional needs over physical aesthetics. At the end of the day, good nutrition should not be judged by appearance alone but by whether the body's physiological needs are being adequately met.
References
1. [Amith M, Onye C, Ledoux T, Xiong G, Tao C. The ontology of fast food facts: conceptualization of nutritional fast food data for consumers and semantic web applications. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2021;21(Suppl 7):275. Published 2021 Nov 9. doi:10.1186/s12911-021-01636-1]
2. [Khan AR, Khan MA, Khan Z. Health hazards of fast food consumption amongst medical and non medical undergraduates of Ayub Medical College and Comsats University Abbottabad. Khyber J Med Sci. 2025;16(2).]
3. [Raposeiras Roubín S, Abu Assi E, Cespón Fernandez M, et al. Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;76(7):828-840. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.06.058]
4. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/keto-diet-is-not-healthy-and-may-harm-the-heart]
5. [Maffetone PB, Laursen PB. Athletes: Fit but Unhealthy?. Sports Med Open. 2015;2:24. doi:10.1186/s40798-016-0048-x]
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Originally published at themedtales.com
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