Table 1.
Nutrition transition overview: obesity and “Western foods”
| People | Diet | Macronutrient summary | Acellular foods or grains | Overweight or obesity | Other health markers | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitava 1990s | Starchy root vegetables, fruit, some fish and meat, coconuts. Food abundance | ~65% carbohydrate, high fibre, 17% saturated fat | − | 0% overweight | No stroke, diabetes or heart disease. No increase in weight or blood pressure in middle age | 3,4,6–9 |
| Machiguenga 1982 | Mostly root vegetables, fruit and nuts, very small amount of meat and fish. Food abundance | High carbohydrate, high fibre | − | None reported | Healthy teeth and gums, good general health, except for parasites and infections | 22 |
| Masai 1971 | Cow’s milk and blood, meat | 66% fat, similar cholesterol intake to US | − | Lean | Atherosclerosis rare at autopsy | 16 |
| Kavirondo Kenyans 1929 | Mostly meat | High protein, high fat | − | Lean | Aortic atheroma at autopsy rarer than in Westerners. No increase in blood pressure through middle age | 20 |
| !Kung 1972 | ~70% plant matter (mongongo nuts, fruits, roots, bulbs, leaves), some meat | Mongongo nuts: ~60% fat, 25% protein | − | Lean | No increase in blood pressure through middle age | 29 |
| Solomon Islanders 1974 | Root vegetables, fruit, fish, limited meat, tinned fish | Varied | −/+ | Lean (Western-influenced islands were heavier) | No hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Islands with Western influence showed increased blood pressure | 26 |
| Turkana 1980–83 | Mostly milk, blood, meat, but by 1983 also some traded sorghum, maize, millet, and sugar | High protein, high fat | + | Lean (<5th percentile of Western weight) | No increase in weight in middle age | 24,25 |
| Tarahumara 1978–79 | 90% from pinto beans and maize tortilla. Remainder from squash and other vegetables | High carbohydrate, high fibre, fat 12%, animal sources 6%, refined sugar 1% | ++ | 5% BMI > 26 | No hypertension, no rise in blood pressure with age | 17,19 |
| Mexican Pima 2006 | Beans, wheat-flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and potatoes | 62% carbohydrate, 25% fat, high fibre | +++ | Males: 7% obese Females: 20% obese |
7% diabetes incidence | 27 |
| Arizona Pima 1996–2006 | Refined Western diet, including fried breakfasts, processed meats, hamburgers, pork chops, beans, white bread, flour tortillas, fried or baked dough, cereals, canned foods, fruit juices | 49% carbohydrate, 15% protein, 34% fat, >10% saturated fat | ++++ | Males: 64% obese Females: 75% obese |
>30% diabetes | 27,28 |
Note: −, −/+, +,++, +++ and ++++: Approximate contribution of acellular foods or grains to diet, ranked from ‘absent’ (−), to ‘major component of diet’ (++++).