The San People of the Kalahari, also known as the Khoisan and as the
Bushmen, store fat on their bodies in an unusual way:
"The Bushmen are semi-pygmies, growing no more than 5, 5 1/2 feet tall
with the women reaching up to 4 1/2 feet tall. They are
yellowish-brown, and have unique characteristics like steatopygia, a
phenomenon where their stomachs and buttocks expand to store fat for
the hungry days to come."
Pilgrim Society: Africa, Kalahari and the Little People
http://www.pilgrimsociety.com/africa.html
Fat deposits which are heaviest in the abdomen, thighs and buttocks
provide a means of substantial fat storage with minimal insulating
effect, enabling the body to maintain an adequate fat reserve
(essential at times when food is scarce) while still being able to
dissipate heat efficiently in order to maintain a stable body
temperature. The diet and body characteristics of the San People may
hold clues that would benefit the Western world, as well:
"There is a rule of thumb known as the Body Mass Index (BMI). It is
calculated as your weight (in kg) divided by your height (in metres)
squared. The same figures applies to both men and women. Really lean
hunter/gatherer societies like the Australian Aborigines or the
Bushmen of the Kalahari have BMIs in the range 13 to 19. These peoples
have low blood pressure, no heart disease or diabetes, and no cancer.
This seemingly is the ideal."
Inner Self: From Eating... to Obesity
http://www.innerself.com/Health/obesity.htm
Here you will find a brief description of the dietary habits of the
San:
Beyond Vegetarianism: The San (Kalahari desert, Africa)
http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-3f.shtml
And here is an excerpt from an interesting article about the San
People and steatopygia:
"It is well known that all human beings store food as fat, some more
efficiently than others, and much time and money are spent on diets
that are successful only for the duration of the program.
These layers of fat typically encircle the abdominal region and
portions of the limbs. This fat becomes a great disadvantage in warm
regions, because it is no easy task for the body engulfed in fat to
get rid of excess heat. When a person moves or uses energy, heat is
generated in his or her muscles. In desert regions, if there are fat
layers in the limbs and abdominal regions, heat is retained, and it
becomes very difficult for the person to stay cool. He or she could
easily perish from heat prostration, as unwary desert travelers
sometimes do.
The adaptation of the San women very effectively overcomes the fatty
handicap suffered by other races and peoples, because their fat layers
are concentrated in their buttocks. This part of their anatomy becomes
huge and protruding and contrasts markedly with the rest of their
lean, stringy bodies, which are devoid of fat. The exaggerated
development of their buttocks reaches incredible proportions so that
their girth at the hips often approximates their total height, which
is less than five feet."
Fascinating Earth: A Cushion to Fall Back On
http://www.fascinatingearth.com/A%20Cushion%20to%20Fall%20Back%20On.htm
You can learn more about the San People, their history, their diet,
and their lifestyle by reading an excellent book by Elizabeth Thomas
Marshall entitled "The Harmless People."
Amazon.com: The Harmless People
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/067972446X/qid=1030714942/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-3108665-3239962?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
The 1980 film, "The Gods Must Be Crazy," features the San People in a
fictional adventure involving a Coke bottle that falls from the sky,
and the ensuing cultural difficulties that accompany this artifact of
technology.
My Google search strategy included various combinations of "san
people," "kalahari," "bushmen," "fat storage," and "steatopygia."
I hope this information is useful to you. If anything in my answer is
unclear, or if any of the links are non-functional, please do not
hesitate to ask for clarification.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
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