Effects of a Traditional Lifestyle on Obesity in Pima Indians

This preliminary investigation shows that obesity, and perhaps NIDDM, is less prevalent among people of Pima heritage living a "traditional" lifestyle than among Pimas living in an "affluent" environment. These findings suggest that, despite a similar potential genetic predisposition to these conditions, a traditional lifestyle, characterized by a diet including less animal fat and more complex carbohydrates and by greater energy expenditure in physical labor, may protect against the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors, obesity, and NIDDM.