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Malnutrition in the developing world is changing, and these demographic and epidemiological shifts are in need of urgent attention. Specifically, “malnutrition ” — improper or inadequate diet — is increasingly a function in the developing world not of undernutrition, but of overnutrition. Consuming significantly more calories than are expended, and a diet high in refined carbohydrates, fats, and sugars can alter enzyme levels, cause tissue abnormalities, and lead to organ malfunction. Being “obese ” — clinically recognized as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 30 — can increase an individual’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and certain cancers (CDC 2009). This paper discusses the causes and consequences of overnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting rural/urban connections, notions of personhood, and dietary conservatism as important factors in understanding and addressing the growing epidemic. The “nutrition Transition” Why are people in developing countries becoming overnourished? The answer, according to nutrition expert Barry Popkin and a growing body of literature, is development itself. Individuals in developing countries are increasingly living in urban areas that facilitate a sedentary lifestyle — formal employment is low in energy output, daily errands are facilitated by motorized vehicles, and television provides a steady stream of idle entertainment. Though individuals in urban contexts typically require fewer calories than their rural counterparts, they often consume the same or even a greater number of calories. This is facilitated by the internationalization of food production, through which processed carbohydrates, meats, vegetable oils, and refined sugars have become increasingly available worldwide, and at drastically reduced prices. In 2003 a dietary fat content of 30 percent, the maximum recommended by the Food and Agriculture Association (FAO) for persons with a sedentary lifestyle, required a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of just $281. Arianna Fogelman is a doctoral candidate in th