We’ve all seen the emaciated poor souls with the paunchy bellies. If they havn’t had much to eat in a while, or ever for that matter, what makes their bellies pop out?
Is it all fluid, like water? And if so, does their body retain water for a significant reason, besides hydration, and reaction to a lack of food?
I admit that this question can probably only be answered by Qadgop the Mercotan. I have posed many questions in his direction as of late and confess that I am dearly pleased that there is a doctor on board here at SDMB.
However, I will make an attempt to repress my urge to ask odd medically related questions, as there is only one of Qadgop the Mercotan and I do not want to wear his spirit thin. My apologies.
It’s a result of malnutrition known as Kwashiorkor.
From http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/07123.html
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protein deficiency disorder of children…But the weaned child, who receives neither milk nor meat, is likely to develop kwashiorkor. The most striking manifestations of the disease are a swollen and severely bloated abdomen, resulting from decreased albumin in the blood…
It seems that this is not a result of getting no food, but of getting the wrong kind of food, that which doesn’t include enough protein.
Thank you Lsura 
Protein (albumin) in the blood acts as a sort of “sponge” to hold water in the bloodstream. If there’s not enough albumin, the water leaks out. If it leaks it out, one of the areas that the water accumulates in is the abdomen. This is called ascites.
Qadgop the Mercotan’s a great guy, wishbone. Just get him talking about himself and he’ll be happy to hang around and answer any questions you have.
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Cheers, Q![/sub]
Yeah… I remember that…:rolleyes:
Oh boy! Fans! Can I expand that base into…dare I say it? A syndicated medical column? Then I could get out of the HMO and Medicare assignment racket!
Actually KarlGauss is the genuine go to guy when you’re looking for solid facts. I supply vague recollections of real or fancied patient encounters, half-remembered pearls from medical school and residency, and long-harbored resentments towards re-imbursement systems.
Qadgop
“If there’s anything in here more important than my ego, I want it taken out and shot” --Zaphod Beeblebrox
Speaking of flies and maggots…Cochliomyia hominivorax (American primary screwworm), will lay eggs on the edges of wounds, and the maggots will eat living flesh (the result of which often attracts flies that breed in necrotic flesh).
My wife heard recently that this is caused by weakend abdominal muscles, so weak that the belly pushes out. I’ve suspected thats an UL, but haven’t researched yet.
Its a swollen liver.
In individuals suffering starvation, their supply of blood sugar and fat reserves have benn exhausted, leaving only the muscle mass as fuel.
Unfortunately, the metabolic by-products of the body consuming its own flesh are toxic, thus inflaming the tissues of the body’s main metabolic processor.
enolancooper is correct. The primary cause for the swollen belly is that the liver is enlarged. As mentioned above, the low protein in the blood, and the subsequent leakage of fluid into the abdomen, makes things even worse.