Some years back, when our son and his family were working in Myanmar (formerly Burma), we took the opportunity to visit and explore that country.
A person can never anticipate all the sights and sounds, especially in a part of the world so different from our own.
As an observant doctor, one of the many noticeable differences to me was the size of the Myanmar people.
In a world where obesity is dramatically on the rise, what are the people of Myanmar doing that is different?
Granted, the country at that time was beginning to emerge from many years of military dictatorship.
Foreign fast-food outlets were mostly banned, and international processed food companies had not yet arrived.
People were physically active, as cars were expensive.
Small-scale farming was widespread, and with fertile soil and an abundance of water there were plenty of cheap fruits and vegetables.
Rice was the main source of energy, which puts paid to the belief that carbs cause weight gain.
Legumes such as beans, soy and chickpeas were the main source of protein.
Animal proteins were used more as a flavouring than as a main course, as we discovered when eating out in a local restaurant.
But perhaps the greatest insight into why obesity is becoming so common around the world came from our visit to one of the few pizza restaurants in town.
Of course, most of the patrons were Westerners. However, that was the only place I noticed overweight locals.
One of the greatest exports from the West is highly processed fast food.
Japan has the second highest number of a popular fast-food outlet outside of the US.
Over the last 30 years, the incidence of obesity has skyrocketed in that country. China is facing the same crisis.
What can we learn from the above experience? Humans were never designed to eat energy-dense, highly processed foods as regular fare.
Increasing our intake of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes is the healthiest way to lose extra mass or maintain normal weight.
Cut out or dramatically reduce sugar-sweetened beverages and go slow on animal products. Experience and science tell us these are effective strategies.
Dr Dave Glass
MBChB, FCOG(SA), DipIBLM.
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