It’s one of the most painful aspects of starvation to witness: the stomachs of children who are dying appear ridiculously swollen. It’s as if the body plays an unbelievably cruel joke on itself, causing the starved to resemble people whose bellies are large from over-eating. Is there a connection? In fact the two instances — starvation and overeating — only resemble each other in a superficial way. The belly of an over-eater looks the way it does due to a build-up of fat cells, also present on other areas of the body. The starvation belly stands out in painful relief against emaciated arms, legs, and face, and will appear more taut and inflexible.