There is increasing evidence that humans have developed ‘self addictive’ appetite pathways to enhance the uptake of highly energy-dense food. Additionally, humans do not synthesise many cofactors and vitamins that other mammals do. Both processes probably arose to maximise available energy for the developing, large association cortex of the human brain.

The default pattern resulting from consuming a westernised highly refined energy-dense, hypo-micronutrient diet is malnutritive obesity or ‘malnubesity’, whereby a relative lack of anti-oxidant (and other) co-factors contributes to inefficiently oxidised macro-nutrients. This leads to central adipose deposition, disordered energy use by cell mitochondria, especially in muscle and liver, and malfunctioning immune, coagulation, endothelial and other systems. The resultant problems appear to range from epigenetic re-programming in-utero to the end organ damage of the metabolic syndrome and immune failure in cancer.

Westernised humans tend to become ‘addicted’ to rich, refined foodstuffs, at the expense of nutritious food, a tendency that the food processing industry uses. Typically, the most vulnerable are the poor and un-empowered.

Treatment of ‘malnubesity’ may require 1) an understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of addictions, 2) reprioritising of satiating, micro-nutrient dense whole-foods and 3) non-judgmental general, psychological and medical support for those at risk or affected by obesity on a personal treatment and preventative level.

Can people really eat plenty of a whole food diet, not be hungry, resist the refined, over-palatable foods and manage their weight and health over the long term?

 Practical incentives for healthy food production, regulation to make food manufacturers (and ultimately consumers) pay the real cost of processed food, and legal protection for communities from exploitation by food processor conglomerates may be tools for public health obesity management.

.