I would like to see a debate on the issue of cycles of food abundance and
food scarcity in hunter gatherer diets.  In a recent post, Lorraine
Heidecker wrote 'For hunter/gatherer peoples that have not been recently
forced into marginal environments,  gatherable food resources are usually
plentiful throughout the year'.

Why is it that many scientifically trained people think hunter-gatherers
regularly starved to death, allowing natural selection of the 'thrifty
genotype' (one susceptible to overweight and obesity today)?  Is it true
that we often starved - what is the evidence?  Overweight now affects
nearly half of all adults in industrialised countries and the experts are
trying to explain it in these terms.

The current issue of Diabetologia has a debate on a new theory proposed by
Gerald Reaven called the 'not-so-thrifty genotype' followed by an article
by the author of the 'thrifty phenotype' hypotheses (Hales). Both authors
are trying to explain the 'insulin resistance' syndrome.  All of the
theories are based on the notion that starvation or food scarcity was
common among our ancestors.  None of them give any evidence to document it
- it's as if it's inarguable.

It puzzles me that humans could become taller and taller throughout the
paleolithic while simultaneously being exposed to fluctuating but
significant periods of starvation.  I'd like to hear your comments?

Best wishes  Jennie






Jennie Brand Miller  PhD
Associate Professor in Human Nutrition
Department of Biochemistry  G08
University of Sydney
NSW 2006  Australia
Phone: (61 2) 9351 3759
Fax: (61 2) 9351 6022