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SUMMARY:An ancient origin for contemporary chronic disease risk in South A
 sia? - Emma Pomeroy (Liverpool John Moores University)
DTSTART:20170315T163000Z
DTEND:20170315T173000Z
UID:TALK69654@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ann Van Baelen
DESCRIPTION:Chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular di
 sease are a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality in the modern 
 world. While recent changes in diet and activity levels are widely accepte
 d to be the proximate causes for rising chronic disease rates\, the height
 ened susceptibility of certain populations\, such as those of South Asian 
 descent\, suggests a longer-term component to disease risk in some groups.
  Contemporary South Asians have low lean tissue mass (organ and muscle mas
 s) relative to height and total body mass\, which appears to be heritable 
 and is implicated in their elevated susceptibility to chronic diseases. Wh
 en and why this 'thin-fat phenotype' arose is unknown\, but relevant to fu
 lly understanding the determinants of contemporary disease risk. Proposed 
 explanations for South Asian low lean mass range from the long term impact
 s of climatic adaptations\, through dietary changes with the transition to
  agriculture and/or the adoption of vegetarianism\, to the more recent imp
 acts of severe 19th century famines which were exacerbated by colonial pol
 icies. The osteoarchaeological record affords us one of the few ways to po
 tentially test these hypotheses by offering insight into past physique. In
  this seminar\, I will discuss the results of an ongoing project in which 
 we are using skeletal morphology to investigate when and why low lean mass
  arose in South Asian populations\, and whether past environmental conditi
 ons and lifeways may have contributed to a contemporary public health cris
 is.
LOCATION:BioAnth Lecture Theatre (Room 41)\, Division of Biological Anthro
 pology\, Pembroke Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 3QG
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