shooter wrote:I think he means "better" as in more plentiful, don't have to work as hard to get food, don't have to worry about when your next meal is going to be, etc.
You do see more large indians these days, and it is because of poor eating habits, alcoholism, and the same other things that make white people, black people, and people of any other race fat. It is a shame, though. You hardly ever see a fat indian in old photos like that, and now they're everywhere. Then again, so are fat white people, and you don't see as many of those in old photos either.
Yes, it does mean better times. The majority of people in the WORLD are going to be generally indisposed to being able to easily store excess nutrients due to natural selection as proscribed by Darwin. It is what allowed mankind to survive over the lean times. Therefore, the majority of people will gain weight when eating even just enough to overcome hunger pangs without subsequent additional physical exertion. Those lucky enough to have metabolism that equates to being un-naturally skinny would have died off back in the feast or famine days.
As previously stated, in a lot if indigeous societies even today, being rotund is a sign of being healthy. All the "hot" babes of those societies want your babies cause the ability to retain energy is a good thing! Heck even in "western" society right up to 1900 or so, did you ever see pictures of a "skinny" king? In the medieval times, the aristrocracy that ate mostly meat and gorged themselves with constant feasts out lived their "serfs" by more than 2 to 1 in age even though the "serfs" ate what we generally today consider "good" food (veggies and such) along with continual exercise. The average serf who survived adolescence had a life span of around 35 years whereas the rotund noble that survived adolescence averaged a life span of 70 years...look it up, that's a fact. That being said, I do like my women a bit more athletic...
I mean, think about it, Henry the VIII was fairly rotund and he outlived seven of his wives.