But aren't traditional eating and tropical people's ...big?

[daisymommy]

There's no nice way of saying it. I don't want to name any names and get this thread locked, but there are many traditional people's (for instance Eskimos, and Pacific islanders--okay, so I named names) that eat a high fat diet, or a lot of coconut oil/milk and they are among the most obese people in the world with the highest rates or diabetes.

What about that? I'm just trying to figure this all out this morning.

[lastrid]

The question you need to ask is whether those people are actually eating their traditional diet. The answer is most likely no. If they have contact with "modern civilization" they are going to be eating SAD unless they are consciously keeping the old traditions.

[dauphinette]

Plus, I mean, I think it's partly body style, too.
I have know a lot of Samoans who were thick bodied but healthy and robust, and a lot of Hawaiians, most of the hawaiians I knew actually, who were very slim and healthy.
I think eskimos need a layer of fat like a seal, to keep warm up there in the artic!

[daisymommy]

You're all going to love this:
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ome-Po...s-Diet-of.html

"Starchy foods are the foundation of the traditional diet. For example, the traditional Hawaiian diet is 75 to 80 percent starch, 7 to 12 percent fat, and 12 to 15 percent protein"

So in other words, they are eating the Food Pyramid guide recommendations!

"Many Pacific Islander Americans now eat an Americanized diet consisting of fast foods and highly processed foodstuffs such as white flour, white sugar, canned meat and fish, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, carbonated beverages, candies, cookies, and sweetened breakfast cereals."

"This nutritional transition has resulted in an increase in cardiovascular disease (i.e., coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension), obesity, and type 2 diabetes."

"Nutrition education is needed to stimulate nutrition-related indigenous knowledge and the consumption of traditional nutrient-rich local foods as a more healthful alternative to fast foods and processed foods."

"Many health professionals are now emphasizing eating traditional "native" foods and encouraging residents to get back to a healthy lifestyle and to their cultural roots."

-----------------------------------
So no, it wasn't the coconut milk, it was the good ol' Western diet again

[7thDaughter]

I recall learning that the Polynesians, on their long ocean voyages, took men & women who would survive for a long time on little food -- people who pack calories into body fat in order to survive famine. This results in a genetic tendency toward obesity. The western diet maximizes this tendency.

[ambereva]

In their traditional culture, those people got much more, and much more strenuous, physical activity, to offset the negative effects of a high fat/high calorie diet.

[sapphire_chan]

First I'd look at if they still eat a totally traditional diet or are they having cake too?

Secondly, at least for cold regions, I'd expect a bit more body fat.

[snowbunny]

I'll echo the other thoughts here: in most cases, they're not eating a traditional, native diet and because these peoples did not traditionally consume many sweeteners or grain products so a modern diet with its heavy inclusion of both sweeteners and grains causes a huge insulin spike, and they are more prone to insulin resistance.

If you look at the pictures taken by Price in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, these peoples weren't fat or obese; rather, they were solid and fit. Yes, their faces are wide but a wide face is indicative of proper development courtesy of a diet rich in nutrients - particularly fat-soluble vitamins.

[lil_earthmomma]

As someone who works with inuit peoples, it's so sad to see what north american cuisine done to their bodies. As people who are genetically made to eat a ton of fat and protein and barely a speck of carbohydrates, it's horrifying to think of how carb heavy a north american diet is, and how sugar has destroyed their body composition.