placeholder, inspired by conversation with a friend on a instagram post linking to a study [1] on visceral fat differences among two populations.
Decent n, between “South East Asian” and , “white European origin”,
n=677 vs n=2394 for liver fat comparison and n=697 vs n=2271 for subcutaneous and visceral fat comparisons . ( Using CT , and or MRI ).
They measured more liver fat and more visceral fat at lower BMI .
So yea BMI is a useless , non generalizing measurement.
But the only thing they said about food is they controlled for total calories and sex. But Calories I suspect was survey data.
Anyway I think Ive heard this enough to on conclude yea , bodies and genetics are not universal. Different characteristics. Different overflow rates (from subcutaneous to visceral or liver).
But thats not really the whole picture is it.
What is meant by a population and is that really a thing anymore
Also I randomly picked up this interview [3] Andy Galpin and Dr Herman Pontzer. The interviewee’s work points to how intra group variation can often be higher than inter group (group mean) variation.
Actually maybe a distinction here. Maybe that doesnt necessarily mean the group doesnt exist but perhaps that environmental contributions explain quite a bit of the variance and heritability of traits is only a portion of the outcomes here.
That was my main gripe about this instagram post and the research paper.
references
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXARv_gmcal/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Liver, visceral and subcutaneous fat in men and women of South Asian and white European descent: a systematic review and meta-analysis of new and published data , Stamatina Iliodromiti et al. Diabetologia. 2023 Jan. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9729139/
- Andy Galpin and Dr Herman Pontzer, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perform-with-dr-andy-galpin/id1725022545?i=1000698853977