God knows *I* could stand to lose a few pounds!
>>I suppose black people could be genetically at increased risk of obesity<<
Those who tend to gain weight today would have been the strong stock that survived famine in the past.
Today it’s a bad thing.
I’ll bet it’s the CARBS....just like for some Spanish people....if they avoided carbs and ate more protein they wouldn’t have the problems.
Americans of sub-Saharan African descent have had higher death rates than Americans of European descent. Higher rates of heart disease and diabetes are the two big reasons.
Both diet and genetics are involved. I knew one black woman whose recipe for chili included more sugar than a six-pack of Jones soda. And while okra and collard greens are healthy, eating 60% carbohydrates isn’t.
On the genetics side, even when scientists control for diet, blacks in America have about 40% greater chance for early death from heart disease, and almost double for diabetes. And 99% of Americans could not keep up with a Venus Williams exercise schedule.
Further, because of genetics and diet, prescription needs for black Americans are slightly different, as are optimal medicine amount for men vs. women. Sometimes these things are obvious, as in women’s need for iron during child-bearing years. Sometimes it can be adjusted, as in finding the right dose of Metformin or insulin. Pharmaceutical companies are aware of this, but it’s expensive to get good data for everyone.
Come to think of it...I don't recall seeing a lot of obese Blacks in National Geographic...or winning the Boston marathon.