I have just recently spent some time in Indonesia where the main staple is also
rice and wondered about this myself. So I started looking more closely at what
they ate. I noticed that they eat lots of small portions of food throughout the
day and they eat a lot of fat, fibrous veg. and some protein with their rice.
This would lower the glycemic index and the frequent small feeds would lower the
insulin index.
I also noticed that since my first visit 20 years ago that there are a few fat
people. Not a lot but more than there were. I would attribute this to the
introduction of western type sugar in coke, icecream etc. that have become part
of the diet.
Leonie

Judy Genova wrote:

> One thing I've continued to ponder while being a cavegirl is this:
>
> How come none of the Chinese or Japanese or Korean people I know (and living
> in a college town, I know plenty of them...) are fat?  They eat on the
> average, 5 cups of white, refined rice every day, in addition to their meat.
>
> If the glycemic index theory is correct, wouldn't eating that much rice make
> them obese?  Wouldn't they all be diabetic by adulthood?
>
>  They do not limit the protein, especially living in this country where it is
> so abundant and cheap.  Egg  & pork is eaten stirred into soft rice for
> breakfast.  Lunch is either beef, chicken or pork with veggies and more white
> rice or fried  rice noodles.  Dinner is more rice with either meat  or fish
> soup with veggies, or more stir fry.  Sometimes, meat dumplings wrapped in
> rice noodles are eaten as well, either fried or steamed.
>
> According to Amadeus's theory, wouldn't they be fat because their sole source
> of grain is refined?
>
> Yet, quite the contrary.  They are quite strong (especially the Koreans who
> tend to eat more beef),  and  muscular.  Those that keep to their traditional
> diets  (white rice, veggies and animal protein) and don't guzzle lots of
> Pepsi don't tend to develop diabetes.
>
> I know we've bandied this around before, but really, I am not settled in my
> mind that we have all the answers here.
>
> I could go on with more ethnic groups I rub shoulders with.  For example, the
> Jamaican friends I have who still eat their "mama's cooking".    Lot's of
> white rice accompanying fish cooked in coconut, fried plaintains, & greens.
> But again, white rice with every meal.  They are strong like bulls. No
> diabetes.  Very tall, robust with big teeth....
>
> One thing they will all tell me, brown rice doesn't exist in their cuisine.
> For one thing, it is too expensive and hard to find because it has to be
> imported!  For another thing, no one likes the taste!  So much for whole
> grains.....
>
> So what gives?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Judy Genova, cavegirl