Why do malnourished people have bloated bellies while anorexics (who also don't eat) don't? Is it because their liver is damaged?
I think the mechanism goes something like this: Albumin is the major protein constituent of blood serum. With severe malnutrition the body does not have sufficient precursors or energy to produce normal levels of albumin causing a reduction in serum albumin concentration. Eventually the level of dissolved solutes in the blood falls below that of surrounding tissue and the process of osmosis draws fluid from the blood into the tissue causing oedema. Have a look at Kwashiorkor syndrome.
