How do obese Eskimos stay so healthy? They eat plenty of fat

If you’re going to be obese, be an obese Eskimo.

Here’s why: Yup’ik Eskimos, who live in the Yukon in southwest Alaska, have about the same rates of overweight and obesity as the general U.S. population in the lower 48. And yet their rates of type 2 diabetes are remarkably lower.

Their rate: 3.3 percent of the population.

Our rate in the lower 48: 7.7 percent.

So what’s their secret for dodging the type 2 epidemic?

Fat consumption.

Yup’ik Eskimos eat fresh fish daily and end up getting about 20 times more omega-3 fatty acids than folks in states down below.

This appears to create excellent heart-health markers as well. Triglyceride and C-reactive protein levels in obese Eskimos are about the same as those of normal-weight people.

Source:
“Eskimo Study Suggests Diet rich in Omega-3 Fats May Reduce Risk of Obesity-Related Disease” Newswire, 3/24/11, newswire.com