ABSTRACT

Redefining Maya Health: Indigenous ecological knowledge and metabolic disease risks

Although Indigenous people account for roughly 5% of the global population, they experience disproportionately high rates of obesity and the related metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is characterized as a cluster of metabolic risk factors such as excess body fat around the waist, increased blood pressure/blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels that contribute to non-communicable diseases like Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, indigenous Maya populations have suffered from a rapid and severe rise in the burden of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions. Over the past few decades, there has been an 10% increase in diabetes prevalence and 36% increase in obesity rates in rural Maya villages. The obesity and diabetes boom in Indigenous communities has been largely attributed to genetic factors, socio-economic transitions, and a shift towards sedentary lifestyles. However, some have argued that “coca-colonization,” or increased consumption of soft drinks and junk foods introduced by tourism and other economic forces in the Yucatan Peninsula, is a leading cause of obesity and MetS. This paper aims to examine local perceptions, experiences, and interpretations of access to diet-related Indigenous knowledge, and the potential to protect against the metabolic health impacts of market integration (ie. tourism) in rural Yucatec Maya communities. This will help clarify culturally salient dietary practices, such as food choice and availability, and the correlation between favourable developmental trajectories and metabolic disease risks.

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