A recent study published in the British medical journal The Lancet said that obesity rates have increased significantly worldwide over the past three decades. And the biggest increase by far occurred in the Pacific islands. In the country with a higher proportion of fat people on the planet-Nauru-the mean body mass index (BMI) is today no less than 35.03 and 33.85 for women in men (it is considered that above 30 is obese). Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, French Polynesia and Palau are not far behind. Several Caribbean islands, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and Nevis are also in the category of obese. Of the 13 countries with a BMI above 30 means the only ones that are not islands are Kuwait and Egypt (where only the women's BMI over 30), although the United States, with a BMI of 28.33 for women and 28 , 46 for men, is very close. Why is there so much obesity in the islands?
The answer is a combination of factors including diet, lifestyle and culture; but the main culprit is globalization. Up to half of the twentieth century, Pacific Islanders, most were traditional societies living from agriculture and fishing. The arrival of the armies of the United States, France and Britain during the Pacific campaigns of World War II caused a monumental transformation with the opening of these countries into the world. The large-scale industrialization of the Pacific islands did not actually begin until 70. As a result, the South Pacific had only about 40 years to adapt to modern lifestyles and sedentary which the West had been accustomed for centuries. (States Persian Gulf, which also have a problem with obesity and related illnesses, and also had a too rapid transition to modernity.)
The possibility of imported foods coincided with the conversion of agricultural land to more profitable uses such as mining. The territory of Nauru has come to be dedicated almost entirely to the extraction of phosphates, which has forced the islanders to live in a very small band. The traditional Pacific diet consisted mainly of fish, fruits and vegetables, but the people of Nauru have become fond of imported foods such as rice, sugar, flour, soda and beer (one of the favorite food is canned pork). Also reached by the fast food franchises, alongside a growing tourism sector.
Many researchers believe further that the bodies of Pacific Islanders are genetically prepared to store fat more efficiently. That is an attribute that made sense: to live on a small island at the mercy of the weather, involved many long periods of hunger and requiring a huge physical effort. But things are different in a world of jobs in small businesses and Big Macs. (People of African descent are also prone to gaining weight, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why the inhabitants of the Caribbean islands are becoming increasingly obese.) Another factor is culture. In addition, it is common in Pacific island societies considered attractive to big people, a sign of social status, but to eat like a boss, you no longer need be.
Of course, these factors are present in many other developing countries. What really distinguishes them is the size of the islands, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru and other countries on the list of obesity are the smallest in the world, by area and population. Therefore, one resort, a food chain fast or a commercial agreement have a much deeper impact on society than, say, India or Nigeria.
may seem that compensates pay the price of obesity in exchange for access to the modern world with all its amenities and opportunities. But obesity-related diseases are beginning to show. In Nauru, it is estimated that 45% of adults may be diabetic. Life expectancy, which had decades to grow in the region, has been arrested in recent years due to problems related to weight.
The situation is not hopeless. Educational programs that encourage people to consume more local food and health have contributed to reduce obesity rates in Tonga, Fiji and Hawaii. The Aloha State, home of President Obama, famous for its thin-is one of the most slender of the U.S..
By Joshua Keating
The answer is a combination of factors including diet, lifestyle and culture; but the main culprit is globalization. Up to half of the twentieth century, Pacific Islanders, most were traditional societies living from agriculture and fishing. The arrival of the armies of the United States, France and Britain during the Pacific campaigns of World War II caused a monumental transformation with the opening of these countries into the world. The large-scale industrialization of the Pacific islands did not actually begin until 70. As a result, the South Pacific had only about 40 years to adapt to modern lifestyles and sedentary which the West had been accustomed for centuries. (States Persian Gulf, which also have a problem with obesity and related illnesses, and also had a too rapid transition to modernity.)
The possibility of imported foods coincided with the conversion of agricultural land to more profitable uses such as mining. The territory of Nauru has come to be dedicated almost entirely to the extraction of phosphates, which has forced the islanders to live in a very small band. The traditional Pacific diet consisted mainly of fish, fruits and vegetables, but the people of Nauru have become fond of imported foods such as rice, sugar, flour, soda and beer (one of the favorite food is canned pork). Also reached by the fast food franchises, alongside a growing tourism sector.
Many researchers believe further that the bodies of Pacific Islanders are genetically prepared to store fat more efficiently. That is an attribute that made sense: to live on a small island at the mercy of the weather, involved many long periods of hunger and requiring a huge physical effort. But things are different in a world of jobs in small businesses and Big Macs. (People of African descent are also prone to gaining weight, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why the inhabitants of the Caribbean islands are becoming increasingly obese.) Another factor is culture. In addition, it is common in Pacific island societies considered attractive to big people, a sign of social status, but to eat like a boss, you no longer need be.
Of course, these factors are present in many other developing countries. What really distinguishes them is the size of the islands, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru and other countries on the list of obesity are the smallest in the world, by area and population. Therefore, one resort, a food chain fast or a commercial agreement have a much deeper impact on society than, say, India or Nigeria.
may seem that compensates pay the price of obesity in exchange for access to the modern world with all its amenities and opportunities. But obesity-related diseases are beginning to show. In Nauru, it is estimated that 45% of adults may be diabetic. Life expectancy, which had decades to grow in the region, has been arrested in recent years due to problems related to weight.
The situation is not hopeless. Educational programs that encourage people to consume more local food and health have contributed to reduce obesity rates in Tonga, Fiji and Hawaii. The Aloha State, home of President Obama, famous for its thin-is one of the most slender of the U.S..
By Joshua Keating
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