Tuesday, August 03, 2004
THE ISLAND OF SPAM: Bureaucracy in Paradise
Chaos theory tells us that the mere flickering of a hummingbird's wings can trigger a blizzard in Siberia. Whether or not one believes this fanciful notion, there is no denying that even the most well-meaning acts can set off a causitive chain unforseen by even the most forward-thinking experts.
That seems to be the case in Kosrae, a 42-square-mile island situated in the vast Micronesian archipelago that is undergoing a rapid transformation.
For centuries, the indigenous natives maintained a healthy lifestyle that combined rigorous physical activity with a Spartan diet consisting of fresh fish, homegrown taro root, and breadfruit.
Not anymore.
The expected lifespan for the Kosrae population is plummeting---but not for the reasons one would expect. There are no genocidal tribal wars or famines stalking this idyllic landscape. Instead an epidemic of obesity is making the island population increasingly vulnerable to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
In just one one generation, "[Kosrae] has become an island of turkey tail, corned beef, Spam," Tadao Wakuk, a 60-year-old Kosrae native informs the Asian Reporter. "They’re eating this imported stuff. They like fast food, and it’s making them sick."
Sick indeed. With newly paved roads eliminating the lengthy treks that were once a staple of life in a picturesque setting many call the "Jewel" of Micronesia, the residents are emulating their doughnut-eating counterparts in the US. "The majority of modern Kosraeans don't have time or energy to farm or fish—they are too busy with their office jobs," reports Ellen Ruppel Shell in the Atlantic Monthly.
According to Shell, who recently authored a book on obesity, the spam-eating locals have relinquished the easy-going (and beneficial) beachcomber lifestyle to become paper-pushers charged with overseeing the substantial US Aid which flows through Micronesia each year.
After declaring independence in 1986, the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US which triggered over 100 million per-year in foreign aid. "The bureaucracy required to manage and distribute this windfall continues to be Kosrae's single largest employer," she asserts.
Less than two decades later, over 80% of Kosrae's adults are now overweight with more than half of this number morbidly obese. As this silent epidemic takes its toll, diabetes-related surgical amputations have become rampant. The outbreak of bulging waistlines is making Kosrae an international sensation for those who study obesity.
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Rockefeller University is examining the islanders in the hopes of proving what he calls the "thrifty gene" hypothesis"; a belief that one's physical makeup is directly linked to the lifestyle of one's ancient ancestors.
Many experts speculate that the natives of Kosrae remain shackled to a primal drive which compels them to overeat in order to store food for leaner times.
Unfortunately, this was far from a problem prior to the introduction of a vast state-run bureaucracy and the ensuing abundance of imported fast food.
As the people of Kosrae lurch unsteadily toward modernity, it would seem that the price of statism is very high indeed.
Chaos theory tells us that the mere flickering of a hummingbird's wings can trigger a blizzard in Siberia. Whether or not one believes this fanciful notion, there is no denying that even the most well-meaning acts can set off a causitive chain unforseen by even the most forward-thinking experts.
That seems to be the case in Kosrae, a 42-square-mile island situated in the vast Micronesian archipelago that is undergoing a rapid transformation.
For centuries, the indigenous natives maintained a healthy lifestyle that combined rigorous physical activity with a Spartan diet consisting of fresh fish, homegrown taro root, and breadfruit.
Not anymore.
The expected lifespan for the Kosrae population is plummeting---but not for the reasons one would expect. There are no genocidal tribal wars or famines stalking this idyllic landscape. Instead an epidemic of obesity is making the island population increasingly vulnerable to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
In just one one generation, "[Kosrae] has become an island of turkey tail, corned beef, Spam," Tadao Wakuk, a 60-year-old Kosrae native informs the Asian Reporter. "They’re eating this imported stuff. They like fast food, and it’s making them sick."
Sick indeed. With newly paved roads eliminating the lengthy treks that were once a staple of life in a picturesque setting many call the "Jewel" of Micronesia, the residents are emulating their doughnut-eating counterparts in the US. "The majority of modern Kosraeans don't have time or energy to farm or fish—they are too busy with their office jobs," reports Ellen Ruppel Shell in the Atlantic Monthly.
According to Shell, who recently authored a book on obesity, the spam-eating locals have relinquished the easy-going (and beneficial) beachcomber lifestyle to become paper-pushers charged with overseeing the substantial US Aid which flows through Micronesia each year.
After declaring independence in 1986, the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US which triggered over 100 million per-year in foreign aid. "The bureaucracy required to manage and distribute this windfall continues to be Kosrae's single largest employer," she asserts.
Less than two decades later, over 80% of Kosrae's adults are now overweight with more than half of this number morbidly obese. As this silent epidemic takes its toll, diabetes-related surgical amputations have become rampant. The outbreak of bulging waistlines is making Kosrae an international sensation for those who study obesity.
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Rockefeller University is examining the islanders in the hopes of proving what he calls the "thrifty gene" hypothesis"; a belief that one's physical makeup is directly linked to the lifestyle of one's ancient ancestors.
Many experts speculate that the natives of Kosrae remain shackled to a primal drive which compels them to overeat in order to store food for leaner times.
Unfortunately, this was far from a problem prior to the introduction of a vast state-run bureaucracy and the ensuing abundance of imported fast food.
As the people of Kosrae lurch unsteadily toward modernity, it would seem that the price of statism is very high indeed.
# posted by Cletus : 8:31 AM
