Comments on: Book Review: The Hungry Gene

By: Lexica

Lexica — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:09:36 +0000

Another very interesting book, if you haven't already encountered it, is Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:18:55 +0000

Elizabeth–ethnicity studies have been done and are dealt with in detail in the book. Folks whose ancestors lived in areas prone to repeated, prolonged famine tend to have bodies that want to gain and hold onto fat reserves–because the folks who survived those old famines were the ones whose metabolisms and endocrine systems were able to maximize the potential of any caloric intake that came their way.

Those of African, Asian, Polynesian and Hispanic descent are among the folks whose bodies will, when given half a chance, build up fat reserves.

En–that is on my reading list, but I haven’t gotten to it yet.

By: En

En — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:04 +0000

If you really like learning the science behind obesity, I would recommend you next read Big Fat Lies by Glenn Gaesser.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:55:02 +0000

Did they discuss the possible effects of ethnicity? I wonder if that matters. Differing environmental conditions might have prompted our ancestors to put on fat for long winters or for dry seasons, but I don’t know.

You might be able to correlate it with the amount of fat/starch in a culture’s diet. The existence of the pierogi, for instance, would suggest that Eastern Europeans need carbs for the winter.