Two other factors next to ethnicity that may explain the different ratios of obesity to diabetes across the world:
1) muscle mass: having more muscle raises your BMI, but improves your sugar metabolism thus decreasing the risk of diabetes. Muscle mass depends on protein intake, which is likely to be lower in South Asia, on amount of physical exercise (not obvious whether this makes a difference across geography), and probably also on genes (Asians may be naturally less muscular)
2) diet: insulin resistance is triggered especially by foods with a high glycemic load, such as sugary soft drinks, white flour and rice. Poorer countries may be consuming more of such "cheap" calories than richer ones.
Thanks for bringing up disease risk. You usually write about energy, minerals, agriculture, technology, etc, but this post points to how all of our systems of civilization have an effect on people and their health. Implicit in your post are the dynamics of agriculture, globalization, and industrialization that drive the rise of metabolic disease.
It is likely that differences in where different ethnicities store fat is related to environmental temperature and body cooling needs. I recall reading studies of current populations compared to earlier homo species, and body types in cold regions tend to be more compact to conserve heat dissipation. Uniform fat distribution would also help keep warm in cold regions.
Brillaint breakdown of how genetic vulnerabilities amplify the obesity crisis in ways most people don't realize. The visceral vs subcutaneous fat distinction is underrated tbh, especially when health systems in high-risk regions aren't equipped to catch cases early. I've noticed how BMI thresholds get treated as universal when they're really not. The invisible burden part is what should worry policymakers most because late-stage interventions cost way more.
Thanks - very interesting and helpful. Do you have any point of view on instruments to fight obesity and diabetes? Is there any good research and the growing amount of sugar taxes and other UPF taxes for example?
Thats a very interesting analysis based on BMIs👌🏻. I would say the food habits and poor AQI in south asian countries might be also contributing to it. A study based on that could show new conclusions..
Thanks for sharing the analysis. Sometimes percentages are misnomers and dont give accurate picture. If absolute numbers are looked at, in addition to the percentages, the picture might be different. India might lead this category.
Two other factors next to ethnicity that may explain the different ratios of obesity to diabetes across the world:
1) muscle mass: having more muscle raises your BMI, but improves your sugar metabolism thus decreasing the risk of diabetes. Muscle mass depends on protein intake, which is likely to be lower in South Asia, on amount of physical exercise (not obvious whether this makes a difference across geography), and probably also on genes (Asians may be naturally less muscular)
2) diet: insulin resistance is triggered especially by foods with a high glycemic load, such as sugary soft drinks, white flour and rice. Poorer countries may be consuming more of such "cheap" calories than richer ones.
Thanks for bringing up disease risk. You usually write about energy, minerals, agriculture, technology, etc, but this post points to how all of our systems of civilization have an effect on people and their health. Implicit in your post are the dynamics of agriculture, globalization, and industrialization that drive the rise of metabolic disease.
It is likely that differences in where different ethnicities store fat is related to environmental temperature and body cooling needs. I recall reading studies of current populations compared to earlier homo species, and body types in cold regions tend to be more compact to conserve heat dissipation. Uniform fat distribution would also help keep warm in cold regions.
Super interesting as always
"In Scotland, we call this a 'beer belly'."
We also call it a beer belly in the American Midwest 😁
Brillaint breakdown of how genetic vulnerabilities amplify the obesity crisis in ways most people don't realize. The visceral vs subcutaneous fat distinction is underrated tbh, especially when health systems in high-risk regions aren't equipped to catch cases early. I've noticed how BMI thresholds get treated as universal when they're really not. The invisible burden part is what should worry policymakers most because late-stage interventions cost way more.
Thanks - very interesting and helpful. Do you have any point of view on instruments to fight obesity and diabetes? Is there any good research and the growing amount of sugar taxes and other UPF taxes for example?
Thats a very interesting analysis based on BMIs👌🏻. I would say the food habits and poor AQI in south asian countries might be also contributing to it. A study based on that could show new conclusions..
Thanks for sharing the analysis. Sometimes percentages are misnomers and dont give accurate picture. If absolute numbers are looked at, in addition to the percentages, the picture might be different. India might lead this category.