A Case Study of Metabolic Syndrome without Hypertension in a Fijian Coastal Fishing Village
Bibliographic Data
We describe a case study involving obesity, health, and body image on the small island of Nayau, in the Lau Group, Fiji. Nayau is a remote island of Fiji where traditional subsistence activities are practiced. They have only recently had exposure to Western media and television. Traditionally, large body sizes are valued as signs of health and happiness. As such, obesity can be considered a culture bound syndrome. The key aims of our study were to 1) to conduct qualitative and quantitative research on eating behaviors, body image, and activity patterns; 2) to measure the body mass indexes (BMI) of study participants, and; 3) to identify differences in health indicators related to obesity among Fijians and Western society. Our main findings were first, that although body image ideals are changing, most adult men and women still are overweight/obese and tend to value larger body sizes. Second, adult Fijians engage in physical activity nearly 70% of the time during daytime hours, representing more than three times as much activity as the average adult American. Third, while the obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are often seen as linked in the “metabolic syndrome,” in Nayau, adults have similar rates of obesity and diabetes as in the U.S., but they have very low rates of hypertension. We examine possible explanations for the pattern of diabetes and hypertension including diet, activity patterns, and stress levels
Body mass index · Diabetes mellitus · Environmental health · Metabolic syndrome · Obesity · Overweight · Screen time · Sociology · Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors · Demography · Medicine · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Endocrinology · Gerontology
Body mass index and percent body fat
Obesity prevention
Cross-cultural differences in the perception of female body shapes
Ecology and Acculturation Among Native Peoples of Central Brazil
Eating behaviours and attitudes following prolonged exposure to television among ethnic Fijian adolescent girls
Environmental Contributions to the Obesity Epidemic
Prevalence of Obesity, Diabetes, and Obesity-Related Health Risk Factors, 2001
Waist circumference and not body mass index explains obesity-related health risk
Genetic and Environmental Factors in Relative Body Weight and Human Adiposity
Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health
The Eating Attitudes Test
Obesity prevention
Observational Study of Behavior
The Place of Food in the Social Life of Central Polynesia1
The Body Electric
Time Allocation
Culture, diagnosis and comorbidity
Female subsistence strategies among Ache hunter-gatherers of Eastern Paraguay
Parent and child physical activity and sedentary time
Seasonal variance in the diet of Ache hunter-gatherers in Eastern Paraguay
Migration, Social Change, and Health
Time Allocation in a Machiguenga Community
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,07 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2012 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |