[Nov3]

Believe me I am quite familiar with the causes of "adult" onset. (It could be called juvenile onset now). I too believe that heredity has an influence but your statement on the massive die off of westerners in the 17th and 18th century baffled me. 1st diabetes is at record levels now in all races. 2cnd people with no family history are developing it in great numbers. 3rd "white" flour though available in the time period you list was not in wide use. It became readily available "to the unwashed masses" in the mid-late 19th century.

As far as the Pima Indians go I am sure if you look at their diet it is stuffed with more carbs, sugars, hydrogenated fats, and alcohol that the typical "western person". Don't include "western" children in that. There are tons of white fat diabetic "Adult' onset kids. There is no diabetes in my family anywhere except in my sister's kid. None in the fathers family either. This eating style is true of Mexican Indians and blacks (in general). BTW the link you posted talks of the shortcomings of the thrifty gene theory.

The massive outbreak of diabetes we are seeing now is due to white flour, corn syrup, soy and "modern" manufactured food.

[FITZ]

And just plain too much food. We live in abundance --- but we don't have to eat 3 hamburgers --- 1 can be enough. And if we live sedentary lifestyles, we should adjust for that. The contruction workers here might eat more than the welfare types who just lay around --- but they don't have the same weight problems.