South America

Prior to the European conquest of the continent, South America was divided, anthropologically, into six main groups: the Circum-Caribbean, who also dominated the Caribbean and some of Central America; the Savanna-Orinoco peoples; the tropical forest peoples of modern-day Brazil and surrounding regions; the Andeans, who included the Incas; the Southern peoples who covered the region from the Chaco to Patagonia; and the Atlantic peoples in the southeast of modern-day Brazil. Most of these left little in the way of written records, and the Spanish and Portuguese were not inclined to study the local people except for collecting gold and other precious metals, and their subsequent use as a labor force.

Many of the household objects and votive ornaments of these pre-Columbian peoples were destroyed, but sufficient numbers do survive to indicate that there might have been a problem of overweight with some people. The most well known of these is probably the hollow vessel of a female form in the Capuli style of the Narino (800–1250 c.e.) which was found in a tomb of the Narino tribe which lived on the modern-day Colombian-Ecuadorian border region. However, it is possible that the wide girth of the person is as much to do with the pottery item's main use, as a decorative pottery vessel for holding grain, rather than an accurate representation of the people.

Similarly, a Tairona miniature jar in the figure of a large seated man clearly chewing a coca quid, may similarly have the figure dramatically altered for style. Large squat figures from the Caldas department of Colombia and those of the pre-Inca Mohica warriors may also have their size exaggerated to allow the figures [Page 706]to stand up, rather than reflect the size of the people. The human-like figures made from gold and other metals, and those that do not have a dual use as a storage vessel, tend to show slim figures. Although the diet of the period included large amounts of potatoes, most of the people did not seem to eat in excess and had plenty of exercise.

The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors dramatically changed the whole of South America, and early line engravings of the Spanish and Portuguese show little evidence of overweight. However, some paintings from the 17th century onward often show large European people. The style of large flowing garments, with puffed sleeves and breeches worn by men, as shown in the paintings of the late-17th century Cuzco school of Archangels in contemporary costume, often makes the people look much larger than they actually were.

Similarly, the heavily pleated dresses often dramatically exaggerated the size of small women. During the Spanish period, the diet of the region changed considerably with new dishes such as yaguarlocro, a potato soup made with chunks of congealed blood sausages, often served with cheese, and still popular in Ecuador, clearly could lead to health problems if not a part of a balanced diet and exercise regime. Undoubtedly, some obese people did exist, but evidence points to them being relatively rare.

During the Portuguese period in Brazil, obesity was generally equated with prosperity, although this fashion changed significantly in the 19th century. Certainly, in studies in Brazil in the 1990s it was shown that socioeconomic class factors correlated against obesity showed that the wealthier people were less likely to be obese, with poor nutrition suggested as a reason for increasing obesity among the poor. In Brazil, as with many other developing countries around the world, there has been an increase in obesity from the second half of the 20th century with increased prosperity, and more meat in the diet, together with much larger consumption of sugar, for which Brazil is the second largest producer of cane sugar in the world.

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