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Unexpectedly high rates of obesity and dysglycemia among villagers in Cameroon
Author(s) -
Napoli Nicola,
Mottini Giovanni,
Arigliani Michele,
Creta Antonio,
Giua Renato,
Incammisa Antonino,
Carotti Simone,
Sihom François,
Yimagou Isaac,
Alombah Richard,
Mbanya Jean Claude,
Pozzilli Paolo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
diabetes/metabolism research and reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.307
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1520-7560
pISSN - 1520-7552
DOI - 10.1002/dmrr.1036
Subject(s) - obesity , pandemic , environmental health , rural population , geography , population , diabetes mellitus , physical activity , socioeconomics , medicine , covid-19 , endocrinology , economics , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , physical medicine and rehabilitation
Our survey in Cameroon recorded obesity and dysglycemia in inhabitants, which are similar to those reported elsewhere in the region. Typically these metabolic disturbances are attributed to the adoption of a new urban lifestyle including diminished physical activity and an altered (‘Western’) diet. Unexpectedly we found that, like urban populations, our rural population had high rates of metabolic disturbances, despite living in villages and being physically active and consuming traditional diet that is high in plant sources of food and low in meat. From our preliminary study, we raise the possibility that the environmental elements that are driving the pandemic of obesity and diabetes in sub‐Saharan Africa are far more complex than heretofore appreciated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.