Conducted a little bit of extended research since my initial preview and I believe a lot of what I've found out has shed light on Sunday's episode... which is actually pretty damn ambitious by modern animation standards. Let alone the bar of expectation we've attributed to modern Simpsons.
First of all, Lisa's "belly" won't have anything to do with her overeating as was the case in the aforementioned earlier episodes that focused on Bart and Homer putting on the pounds. It's also the reason why the weight isn't showing up everywhere as it did in their cases (see Venomrabbit's comment about why her face isn't chunky).
What's she's actually experiencing is a condition known as kwashiorkor... or, more commonly referenced as protein malnutrition. While it's more common geographically in places where famine has ravaged communities, it can crop up elsewhere if you have poor dietary habits without a steady supply of protein. And a distended stomach due to fluid buildup is not an unusual symptom if and when it crops up in children.
This episode's premise actually has a whole hell of a lot more in common with the B-plot of Penny-Wiseguys than the other episodes we've been comparing it with. And it's going to take a far more pragmatic and mature stance on the issue than that episode did when Lisa resorted to eating insects to combat an iron deficiency.
So here's what's going to happen. Lisa will discover in the opening act that her mother has been secretly sneaking meat into her diet without her knowledge. She'll flip out and probably insist on preparing meals herself. But because her favourite veggies won't offer the protein she needs, she's going to develop kwashiorkor and get extremely self-conscious about her physical appearance. Her aunts cheer her up and then the episode will transition into its body positivity message. With the conclusion being that Lisa will incorporate more beans, lentils and soy in her diet to give her the daily protein that she needs to stay healthy and Marge will stop sneaking meat into her food.
I'm probably still off-base on some of the specifics of how the plot will unfold... but it's the most logical and straightforward explanation.
First of all, Lisa's "belly" won't have anything to do with her overeating as was the case in the aforementioned earlier episodes that focused on Bart and Homer putting on the pounds. It's also the reason why the weight isn't showing up everywhere as it did in their cases (see Venomrabbit's comment about why her face isn't chunky).
What's she's actually experiencing is a condition known as kwashiorkor... or, more commonly referenced as protein malnutrition. While it's more common geographically in places where famine has ravaged communities, it can crop up elsewhere if you have poor dietary habits without a steady supply of protein. And a distended stomach due to fluid buildup is not an unusual symptom if and when it crops up in children.
This episode's premise actually has a whole hell of a lot more in common with the B-plot of Penny-Wiseguys than the other episodes we've been comparing it with. And it's going to take a far more pragmatic and mature stance on the issue than that episode did when Lisa resorted to eating insects to combat an iron deficiency.
So here's what's going to happen. Lisa will discover in the opening act that her mother has been secretly sneaking meat into her diet without her knowledge. She'll flip out and probably insist on preparing meals herself. But because her favourite veggies won't offer the protein she needs, she's going to develop kwashiorkor and get extremely self-conscious about her physical appearance. Her aunts cheer her up and then the episode will transition into its body positivity message. With the conclusion being that Lisa will incorporate more beans, lentils and soy in her diet to give her the daily protein that she needs to stay healthy and Marge will stop sneaking meat into her food.
I'm probably still off-base on some of the specifics of how the plot will unfold... but it's the most logical and straightforward explanation.
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