With the acceptance of modern medical care among populations previously unexposed to European illness, infant mortality declined and life expectancies went up. These achievements largely came about because of the control of epidemic diseases, such as smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, syphilis, and tuberculosis as well as the inoculation of children. Overall deaths from infectious diseases may have declined, but other health problems have increased.
A good deal of research has focused on the Samon of the South Pacific who traditionally depend on root and tree crop horticulture. Samoans increasingly moved to urban areas, worked for wages, and started buying most of their food. There was substantial increase, in a short time, in rates of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity accross a range of age groups.
Could some genetic predisposition be interacting with mordenization to create obesity among them? James Neel suggested that individuals have efficient metabolisms and who can store calories in fatty tissue are likely to survive and reproduce in environement with frequent femines and chronic food shortages. In time, poulations in such environements would have a high prevalence of individuals with "thrifty" genes. When such individuals no longer need to exercise much or have access to high calorie food, it could lead to adult-onset diabetes, a scenerio consistent with the increase in diabetes in samoa.
What is the effect of acceptance of modern medical care?
