U.N.: Malnutrition on the rise in Darfur

An excellent opportunity not to be missed.

Rarely does such an obvious win-win situation like this present itself.

"Malnutrition is increasing in Sudan's violence-wracked Darfur region along with lawlessness and the number of people fleeing their homes, a senior U.N. official said Friday."

As with so many other social issues, lip service is the usual form of payment, action is not. Here is the chance to act.

Assuming that "malnutrition" means caloric deprivation and not a dreaded diminution in selenium intake, for example, here is the opportunity.

Take:

the fat people who claim to be outraged by and in opposition to the situation in Darfur,

the fat people who claim they cannot lose weight because of their genetics,

the fat people who claim they cannot lose weight because of their hormones,

the fat people who claim they cannot lose weight because they are infected with some virus or otherwise possessed by a biologic agent,

the fat people who claim they cannot lose weight even though they "exercise and watch what they eat,"

the fat people who claim that they cannot lose weight even though all they eat are "salads,"

the fat people who have any excuse for being fat except that they overeat,

parents who are abusing their children by making them fat (maybe even send some fat kids on a student exchange program)

the researchers who claim people are fat because of any other reason except overeating Calories (e.g., hormones, genetics, infections)

the media people who continue to spout this bull in order to sell their product and the products that advertise through them

the "masterminds" behind the overweight and obesity epidemics (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, the ladies of The View, Dr. Phil, David Katz, Jorge Cruise, Mehmet Oz, Consumer Reports' editors, the folks at NIH, politicians who are going to "fix" the sick care system)

anyone who says that eating "healthy foods" is "the cure" for overweight and obesity

and designate them aid ambassadors and relief workers for Darfur.

Weigh them. Send them there. Put them to work providing aid and relief to the people of Darfur for say, six months. Weigh them.

Here is what I bet will result.

Weight loss.

The win-win?

The people of Darfur who have apparently been victimized by "a militia of Arab nomads known as the janjaweed," will have received aid and relief.

The fat people, will have lost weight.

The rest of us, will then be able to stop funding the stupid, wasteful research of the researchers, the malpractice known as bariatric surgery, the drug entitlements for the calorically rich, etc.

We will have enjoyed a hiatus from the blatherings of the researchers who were shipped to Darfur. (hoping that the media people work diligently to provide aid and relief and are less able to communicate their stupidity from Darfur)

Once proven that there is a relationship between Calories in and Calories out (which should be unnecessary but is because of all the crap out there), and that those in Calorie denial are mistaken (which is necessary because of all the crap out there), then we can apply the principle in a sensible manner here and elsewhere.

Don't squander the opportunity.

Carpe diem.