167 Humanity’s existential crisis: Malnutrition and chronic illnesses.

Abstract As the second quarter of the 21st century begins, humanity faces an existential crisis: a surging burden of chronic metabolic illnesses—Type 2 Diabetes, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, obesity—claiming 30–35 million lives yearly. Conventional malnutrition definitions, splitting ‘overnutrition’ (excess calories) and ‘undernutrition’ (deficits), stem from the flawed calories-in, calories-out model, treating obesity as a cause rather than a symptom of metabolic dysregulation. The metabolic health and carbohydrate-insulin model reframes malnutrition as diets driving insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, fueled by a global food supply already 80% plant-based (primarily wheat, rice, maize, and sugar). This shift explains fat accumulation, hunger, and chronic diseases as outcomes, not origins. Scientific evidence supports reversing this scourge via nutrient-dense animal-source foods, rich in protein, natural fats, and micronutrients absent in carbohydrate-heavy diets. Animal science must rise to this challenge, sustainably boosting livestock productivity—currently just 15-20% of calories—to provide affordable, appropriate nutrition for 9.5+ billion people by mid-century. The ASAS community holds a pivotal role in securing humanity’s health and future. Effectively communicating these facts to the public and leadership at all levels, both national and international, will be essential.