Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Under nourished or over nourished? What's worse?

flag	asked May 15 2012 at 4:42 Ben Nash 2,762●2●16●48

I think it depends on your starting point. Overweight probably better to be undernourished - underweight and ill - probably over nourished... – Suz - Paleo Oz May 15 2012 at 5:23

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I have just checked out your photo gallery... Oh my Gosh! You take really good pictures... AND you are cute :) – VB May 15 2012 at 8:23

Worse for what? – Shawn May 15 2012 at 11:45

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Depends on how severly we are talking here. Slightly under on calories is better than slightly over in terms of longevity (probably). Severely over may be better than severely under, ie risk of fat/sick versus risk of sick/dead. – Dave S. May 15 2012 at 12:47

AmandaLP · Answer 1 · 2012-06-04 17:22:29Z UTC

It is worse to be undernourished.

There is some growing evidence that "obesity" may be caused in part by being under nourished, in terms of vitamins, minerals, and good food. Thus, it is not just calories, but the whole diet that comes into play.

Your body, when you listen to it, usually tells you when you are overnourished. If you cannot stand the sight of liver after eating it the past week, or your body says "ya know, I'm tired of beef, lets have some fish," you will get those signs.

kathleen · Answer 2 · 2012-05-15 18:23:45Z UTC

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I will have to find the research but I am pretty sure that being slightly overweight is protective against cancer.

answered May 15 2012 at 18:23

kathleen
31●3

Well, it appears that being overweight pre-menopause is protective against breast cancer but it is not protective after menopause. Interesting. – kathleen May 15 2012 at 18:42

Julia · Answer 3 · 2012-05-15 12:20:59Z UTC

I personally think it depends on what you are eating. I'm happy to eat veggies until my heart is content, I have a huge piece of steak for dinner and I'm full. It's double what I used to eat but I'm still losing weight and feeling fantastic. I personaly would be very wary of people telling you to be undernourished as that in itself can be very dangerous and can SOMETIMES lead to an eating disorder (I only say that from self experience)

sandy A · Answer 4 · 2012-05-15 11:06:27Z UTC

I struggle with that myself. I have never been overweight, but I have been too thin several times in my life. Not because I have an eating disorder, but because I just don't eat a lot (although I have eaten healthy most of my adult life). I had gained about 10 lbs over the last 3 or 4 years and it disturbed me, (I had gotten a bit lazy and was eating too much bread, crackers etc), so I started Crossfit (I was a runner for many many years and had slacked on that a bit) and exploring the Paleo diet. After cutting out grain products, except for rice and some granola (I make my own), I have lost almost all the 10 lbs in short order. HOwever, I can tell if I don't up my food intake I will lose down to being too skinny again. It's a narrow line I walk every day. I am 5' 10", 138 lbs and 49 years old.

borofergie · Answer 5 · 2012-05-15 10:35:38Z UTC

I guess it depends on how underweight you mean, but aren't out hunter-gatherer ancestors supposed to have lived in a state of semi-starvation for some parts of the year?

If you have a choice between "underweight" and "overweight" why don't just go for "neither"?

Wayne daniels · Answer 6 · 2012-05-15 08:55:13Z UTC

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Underweight but healthy is the key to longevity

answered May 15 2012 at 8:55

Wayne daniels

community wiki

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Underweight but healthy... that's an oxymoron. – Korion May 15 2012 at 9:15

Maybe he means underweight in terms of the normal BMI scale. – Thomy May 15 2012 at 11:33

Why would underweight in terms of BMI be healthier? Last time I checked BMI does not take gender or race into account. – JeJ May 15 2012 at 18:17

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When looking at overall BMI mortality rates, underweight people die more often than overweight or obese people. – AmandaLP Jun 4 2012 at 17:23

@ Wayne Daniels, any references to back that up? – Lily_7 Jun 4 2012 at 17:33

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Sam Knox · Answer 7 · 2012-05-15 05:06:58Z UTC

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That depends on whether you think it's better to be fat and diabetic or dead.

answered May 15 2012 at 5:06

Sam Knox
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LOL... Short and sweet... but why so dramatic? – VB May 15 2012 at 5:16

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This assumes that eating too much causes diabetes and excess body fat. – Korion May 15 2012 at 9:13

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Well, try getting fat & diabetic by undereating! But your point is well taken, there is more to diabetes than just eating too much. Biochemistry is a bitch. – Dave S. May 15 2012 at 12:51

+1 for Korion. . – foreveryoung May 15 2012 at 23:42

It also assumes that being underweight equals dead. I purposely maintain a lower than "recommended" body weight because of how I feel, relatively speaking. I am underweight by quite a bit, and feel great physically, recover faster from illness and workouts, etc. – Canis Minor Jun 4 2012 at 18:06

Not eat enough or eat too much…what’s worse?

7 Answers