CBS's hit show Survivor has taken its toll on the health of the participants. We've seen participants go from a healthy first world look to an undernourished third world look. Surviving on a diet consisting mainly of a cup of rice a day, even hardy Colby has seen his energy diminish to practically nothing while Tina seems to be wasting away from week to week.

Now it seems that Elisabeth's health has hit rock bottom when she announced during last week's show that she had been losing handfuls of hair, that's right Elisabeth is losing those beautiful blonde tresses.

According to experts on malnutrition the most likely explanation for this is Elisabeth is suffering from a condition called Kwashiorkor. No Kwashiorkor is not the name of the latest tribal alliance in the Outback, it's the name given to a severe form of malnutrition most commonly seen in drought afflicted areas where there is a severe lack of protein in the diet.

Early symptoms of any type of malnutrition are very general and include fatigue, irritability, and lethargy. As protein deprivation continues, one sees growth failure, loss of muscle mass, generalized swelling (edema), and decreased immunity. Skin conditions such as dermatitis, changes in pigmentation, thinning of hair, and vitiligo are seen frequently.

Fortunately its unlikely that CBS would allow its participants to experience the most severe effects which are shock and coma preceding ultimate death. They are far too important for all the guest appearances, not to mention the interviews on the Letterman Show.

In case any of you are worried, Elisabeth got voted off during last week's show so she can start having decent meals again which will restore her body and her hair back to normal, we hope.

Hair loss through protein deficiency can occur, although its not very common in the western world but is frequently seen in anorexics and bulimics who suffer from a protein deficient diet.