### id253598525 the western diet increases obesity levels > Early evidence for the thrifty genotype hypothesis was presented as case studies from the Samoans, Pima Native Americans and Yanomami, because they experienced rapidly increasing levels of obesity after abandoning their traditional diets. However, these groups had actually been practising non-intensive agriculture (often horticulture with hunting) for a long time [[7](https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0853/)–[9](https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0853/)]. These early case studies actually support the idea that it was the ‘westernization’ of the diet, rather than the transition to agriculture that has caused the increased incidence of obesity and T2DM in these populations. Nevertheless, several recent diet books are based on the premise that humans are adapted to a diet that consists regularly of periods of feast and famine—and thus recommend periodic fasting - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fnhtt15dpzqqqc536rgbhnfs) - [[Hunter-gatherers Have Less Famine Than Agriculturalists by Berbesque et al#id253598525 the western diet increases obesity levels|View in Vault]]