I didn't see a lot of fat people while I was in Africa. Maybe it's got something to do with politics. If you're an evil colonialist, God curses your kith and kin to obesity as a way of redress. Then again, I note that many African despots and dictators past and present were fat. Hmmmm.
One question I have: Has obesity gone up in the States in the past few decades? I do not believe in all this low fat food and people thinking that as long as they keep the fatty food low- they can eat carbohydrates all they want. You gotta eat fat to be healthy, you gotta eat fat to keep from being obese (what I mean is a balanced diet at least 20% calories from fat/20% protein/the rest in simple and complex carbs). I believe it is a fairly recent trend- obesity in America and has just as much to do with our affluence and diet as anything else.