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If we are malnourished, we can die by starvation.

Is there a word that is the opposite of starvation? We can die of _________ ?

krikara
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6 Answers6

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The word you are looking for is planteration. It is rarely used. Gene Wolfe did so, however, in his Sword of the Lictor:

“If you knew how much I am forced to eat and drink for courtesy’s sake, you’d know how much I relish the company of someone whose hospitable offers I can refuse. I don’t suppose your fraternity has ever considered using food as a torment, instead of starvation?”

“It is called planteration, Archon.”

That is a way to torture someone, perhaps to death, by force-feeding them as though they were a goose being fattened for foie gras.

For example, instead of a normal Happy Thanksgiving wish, blogger Jim Ryan wrote in 2005:

Happy Planteration Day!

Just wanted to wish anyone reading this a happy recovery from Thanksgiving with the hope that a stomach pump wasn't required. :)

tchrist
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    ahh, good memories. – anongoodnurse Mar 04 '15 at 15:44
  • Dying of planteration sounds good – krikara Mar 04 '15 at 16:22
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    The Oxford English Dictionary has never heard of it. This is unusual for a word that exists. Do you have any dictionary entry for it? – WS2 Mar 04 '15 at 18:49
  • According to the accepted answer to this question, planteration is a made up word. (Let me know if there's a better way to link to an answer on another question, I'm still learning) – brando Mar 04 '15 at 19:55
  • @Brando That would be wrong: Wolfe was very careful never to invent his own words. He has essays about this in which he talks all about this, including how some of his choicer words are not in the OED. But all are real words albeit rare, and with legitimate pedigrees once you dig deep enough. – tchrist Mar 04 '15 at 20:16
  • @tchrist I just saw that the answer I referenced is yours! You say "This miracle of word-creation is by no means limited to the English. Here are some examples from American writers instead:" and the examples include "planteration". I read that to mean that he created the word. Am I misunderstanding your meaning? Or are you saying here (like you argue in the other answer) that a word is real once someone uses it? (I agree with you there) – brando Mar 04 '15 at 22:37
  • @brando I am trying to find out where Mr Wolfe pulled that one out of. It may take a bit of digging. – tchrist Mar 04 '15 at 22:42
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It depends on how they died. If you mean they died directly from overeating, you could say "We can die from gorging (ourselves)." Or you would say what a person gorged himself on, as in this article: Man Dies After Gorging on 43 Cream, Banana-Filled Pancakes.

If they didn't die directly from stuffing themselves, you could say they died from obesity.

brando
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The opposite of starving to death can be either death from morbid obestiy (yes, indeed, it kills) or death from binge eating (usually the death results from vomiting and aspiration or bleeding).

If I were filling the blank, I'd say "morbid obesity".

anongoodnurse
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  • I like this answer because the antonym morbid obesity occurs over time as does starvation. Gorging is an acute process, so not a good a fit. – Minnow Mar 04 '15 at 18:44
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I think in any case overeating is the most appropriate word. (as in, death by overeating).

If you force yourself to eat too much in one sitting, the usual cause of death would be stomach rupture. Your body will try to avoid that by making you vomit though.

On the other hand, you can die from poisoning also if it is a toxic food. For example, apple seed is toxic but if you eat a few, it won't effect you; if you eat a lot of apple seeds, you can die from poisoning.*

There can be long term side effects that can cause death as well. It can be related to compulsive overeating:

For example, compulsive overeating usually results in weight gain and obesity, although it is not the only cause thereof. In addition, compulsive overeating could potentially lead to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and major depression. Additional long-term side effects of the condition include kidney disease, arthritis, bone deterioration, and stroke. In severe cases, compulsive overeating can result in death. [Wikipedia]

Bonus readings:

ermanen
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Overnutrition:

  • the excessive intake of food, especially in unbalanced proportions.

(Random House Dictionary)

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Death by gastrohypoxia. Large volumes of oxygen required for uber digestion will result in limited oxygen for other vital organs and processes. Vomiting is the body's attempt to rid the stomach of digesta, thus allowing available oxygen to continue to support life.

theoxygenlady
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    Welcome to the Stack Exchange site for the English language. Please provide citations that support your statements, as well as explaining exactly how vomiting has to do with all of this. – VTH Aug 22 '18 at 16:26