OSS Indigenous Studies: The Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Epidemic with the American Samoan Peoples (Jan 2020)

Jan 2020

The Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Epidemic with the American Samoan Peoples

Statistics

So what are the stats?

1 in 3 American Samoans suffer from diabetes

100 million people had diabetes in 1980 that number has quadrupled by 2014

In 2010 91% of women and 80% of men were obese

86% of American Samoan mothers were obese in early pregnancy, which raised the risk of obesity in their babies

1 in 4 people in Samoa have a variant gene also known as the thrifty gene

The thrifty gene is quite rare

The average Samoans weight has shot up well their health has decreased

Weight related issues have been rising on Samoan islands since the 1970’s

Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease kill many islanders at a young age

The thrifty gene is related to a 35% higher odds of being obese

Opinion on the stats

The Thrifty Gene

Information

What is the thrifty gene? Well the thrifty gene is a gene variant which is a mutation that promotes more efficient fat storage. This mutation is categorized as a missense mutation because, it causes a particular amino acid in a protein to be replaced with a different amino acid that reduces its intended function. This gene is also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, which strengthens the ectopic fat in the body.

Background

The thrifty gene was helpful to the Samoan peoples during their long voyages. Pictured here is a picture of a group of Samoans in the 1940s. This shows the Samoans before the obesity epidemic occurred. The thrifty gene did not become a problem until the American Samoans settled down on their islands and stopped eating traditional foods and traditional ways.

Other Causes

Other causes for the obesity epidemic is western food. The reason for this is because we eat so much unhealthy, processed foods. The United States of America exports its diet to everyone in the world, making the world fat or obese. The traditional samoan diet is healthy and contains things such as coconut, bananas, seafood, and taro. After WW2 Americans were eating a lot of turkeys, and the turkey tails were not desired by the Americans and they gave them to Samoa when meat was scarce. Turkey tails are full of fat and oils which is why they were undesirable by Americans. At one point during this period the average Samoan was eating 44 pounds of turkey tails a year Now that is not healthy ad kind of sad by my standpoint. 93% of Samoans became overweight or obese due to this factor and the thrifty gene kicking into overdrive. The Samoan government banned turkey tails is 2007, but this was not a positive ending. This caused the WTO (World Trade Organization) to blocked Samoa’s membership till they agreed to eliminate the ban on turkey tails. Countries that were poor who made trade deals with the U.S.A. , ther diets fell apart. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was the worst trade deal ever it has done the most to spread obesity than any other trade deal made.