Originally Posted by
Believer
Namaste,
I am not a nutritionist, so my comments are coming from general observations.
Outside of the health issues and lack of activity that have been mentioned as the causes of weight gain by some, the obesity in Mexico and some of the other places that I have visited was due to the diet borne out of the poverty. The dependence on high starch, deep fried items was almost invariably the reason. In the Marshall Islands for example, there is grinding poverty and the 'Bread Fruit' is their main sustenance item. In Hawaii, Taro root is a cherished delicacy. In Mexico, deep fried things made from corn flour are favored by the poor. Total lack of any vegetables and items rich in protein seemed to be the suspects at many of these places. In North America of course, it is the super sized fast food, rich in fat and carbs, which makes otherwise healthy people to become bigger. So, at least on the face of it, outside of the US, obesity is a poverty driven low nutrition diet trait among otherwise healthy populace.
How does all this affect one's spirituality? Probably does not help at all. They eat to live and can't afford to overeat, but whatever they do eat, is sustenance type and of very little nutritional value. The people I met and saw were very humble and down to earth, but not thinking much about spiritual growth, as their minds never strayed too far from the thought of the next tummy filling exercise.
Pranam.