How Apes Loose Weight

[Ray Audette]

Knott,C.
(1998). Changes in orangutan diet, caloric intake and ketones in
response to fluctuating fruit availability. Int J Primatol 19: 1061-1079.
Seems that high-carb fruit is very seasonable, even in the rain forest. For about half of every year these apes subsisted on low-carb vegetables, and high-fat nuts and insects. Poor Knott followed them on the ground, under their treetop homes, collecting their urine for testing with keto-sticks ( and you thought your job sucks ). In the non-fruit season, all were in ketosis with pregnant and nursing females deepest ketosis. Unless this cycle is reproduced, zoo apes can become very obese.

Of course in more Temperate regions, where Humans evolved, the seasonal fluctuation of carbohydrate availability is even more severe. In the produce section of a modern supermarket, thanks to advances in transportation from the southern hemisphere, it is always summer. Summer is the time for the body to store fat for the coming winter when plant sources of food become scarce. Our bodies must get very confused.

Ray Audette

[Ottawa]

Quite interesting and it makes a lot of sense.
Much of our non-grain carbohydrate foods that we eat would not be available if we were eating "within our seasons".

[maxlharris]

Where is Mike Rowe on that job?

Have noticed that orangs on purina monkey chow and veg can get that android obesity that is so dangerous in humans.

Last thing: Orangs are my favorite animal at the zoo (Have been blessed to live near good zoos... San Diego's two, Bronx and St. Louis, the best four in the US + Los Angeles and Central Park, two very nice, smaller zoos). Their interaction and their movement is mesmerizing to me. Orang Utan means original man in bahasa malayu, and you can see how early Malays and Borneans might've thought of them as ancestors just watching.

[Gaelen]

Of course in more Temperate regions, where Humans evolved, the seasonal fluctuation of carbohydrate availability is even more severe. In the produce section of a modern supermarket, thanks to advances in transportation from the southern hemisphere, it is always summer. Summer is the time for the body to store fat for the coming winter when plant sources of food become scarce. Our bodies must get very confused.

Or you can shop seasonally and locally, and confine 99% of your fruit and vegetable intake to the things that typically WOULD be available or at least more plentiful at a given time of year...

Our bodies are only confused if we give them mixed signals and confusing information. Good information in, good information out... ;)