Medical Consensus Affirms Starvation Risk for All Body Types, Refuting Social Media Claim

Medical experts and scientific literature unequivocally state that individuals of any body weight, including those classified as overweight or obese, can succumb to starvation if deprived of adequate nutrition for an extended duration. This widely accepted medical fact directly contradicts a recent social media post by Diane Yap, who asserted, > "It is physically impossible for an overweight person to starve to death. Something something intermediate value theorem…"

The human body, irrespective of its initial fat reserves, necessitates a continuous supply of essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals to sustain vital organ functions. While stored fat provides an energy source during periods of caloric deficit, its depletion, coupled with the absence of other critical nutrients, ultimately leads to a breakdown of muscle tissue, including the heart. This physiological cascade results in organ failure and, eventually, death. Medical professionals typically consider a 40 to 50 percent weight loss as life-threatening, regardless of an individual's starting body mass.

The reference to the "intermediate value theorem" in the tweet is a misapplication of a mathematical concept to biological processes. The Intermediate Value Theorem is a fundamental principle in calculus, which posits that for a continuous function over a closed interval, the function will take on every value between its values at the interval's endpoints. This theorem describes properties of continuous mathematical functions and has no scientific relevance to the complex, non-linear biological mechanisms governing human metabolism and starvation.

Health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasize that starvation is a severe medical condition influenced by various factors beyond initial body fat percentage. While individuals with higher fat reserves might endure longer without food, prolonged and complete nutrient deprivation will inevitably be fatal. Misinformation on such critical health topics can foster dangerous misunderstandings about serious medical conditions and their physiological realities.