Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many children are kept inside which is adding to the perception that American kids do not get enough exercise. Baylor University did a study and found out "Amazonian tribes burn just as many calories as the average American youngsters." According to Baylor University, the cause of obesity is likely a poor diet and not poor fitness, which challenges current theories about the reason for obesity.
Baylor University studied about 50,000 Shuar people living in the isolated Amazon region of Ecuador and gathered data using the isotope-tracking and respirometry collection method. The Shuar do not have access to grocery stores and labor-saving technology; therefore, they are relying on fishing, hunting, foraging and small-scale agriculture.
The study revealed that "despite Shuar children being about 25 percent more physically active, the total number of calories spent every day is indistinguishable from American children. Shuar children also have a 20 percent greater resting energy expenditure, mostly because of higher immune system activity."
The study concluded that "eating too much, not moving too little, may be at the core of long-term weight gain and the global nutrition transition that often begins during childhood." As proved in the study, we should focus more on maintaining a healthy diet and spread the importance of healthy eating.
