Samoans Were Obese Before It Was Fashionable - But Why?

If we want to see worldwide trends in public health, look to the South Pacific archipelago of Samoa and American Samoa. About 75 percent of the U.S. territory's adult population is obese, the highest rate in the world. Rates of type 2 diabetes top 20 percent and a recent study found that the elevated obesity rates are now even present in newborns. This obesity epidemic began there a few decades ago. Brown University epidemiologist Stephen McGarvey has investigated the obvious question: How did all this happen? read more

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