All good points to consider.  It is hard to imagine that those islanders are
not eating flour and sugar and potatoes.  They may be native islanders, but
those islands are definitely part of Western civilization these days.

P
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Genova" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: How Fat Are the Natives?


> My friend just returned from Hawaii, after living there for 5 years.  She
> informs me that all the native islanders are fat.  Those eating their
> traditional diet of poi (fermented taro root), fruit, fish, young coconuts
> are fat.  The old ones are fat.  The young ones are fat.
>
> I kept grilling her to find out if I could shake her broad
generalizations.
> Like, "Well, how about when you travelled to the other  less developed
> islands?", or
>
> "Yeah, but aren't the Native Americans fat now because they eat a SAD
diet -
> Maybe the islanders are doing likewise.."
> or
>
> "Maybe they weren't being honest about what they really ate - perhaps they
> forgot to mention a few Cokes or donuts...."
>
> Anyway, I don't know if there is such a thing as a fat hunter gatherer,
but
> maybe those living in a tropical environment with lots of breadfruit,
bananas
>  and wild pigs would tend to be plump...
>
> And while I'm on this subject, have any of those on a paleo  diet for
several
> years noticed a natural tendency to gain more  weight with the coming of
> winter?  Don't animals in the wild put on a "winter coat".   I seem to
want
> to eat more in anticipation of the cold , and the extra bulk feels ok when
> its freezing outside.  Has this been the experience of others?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Judy Genova, cavegirl
>
>