THIRTYFY GENE HYPOTHESIS

 What we are talking here is often referred to as the "thrifty gene hypothesis." This theory suggests that, during times when food was scarce (like famines), human bodies evolved to store fat and sugar very efficiently to survive long periods without food. Our ancestors who could store more energy were more likely to survive tough times — so over thousands of years, these "thrifty" genes became more common.

But now, in modern times — where food is abundant and physical activity is low — those same genes that once helped us survive are causing problems like obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

And yes, India has indeed been called the "diabetes capital of the world" — especially Kerala, where diabetes rates are even higher than the national average. This could be due to a mix of factors:

Genetic predisposition (those thrifty genes)

Changes in diet (more refined carbs, sugars, processed foods)

Reduced physical activity

Urbanization and stress

So what you read is very much in line with modern scientific thinking!

If you want, I can also explain a little bit about how the liver is involved in this fat storage and slow release process — it's actually fascinating.

So here's the deal with the liver and diabetes:

When there was famine (or even just long gaps between meals), the liver acted like a power bank for the body.

It stored extra glucose (sugar) as a compound called glycogen.

When food was scarce, the liver would break down glycogen back into glucose and release it into the bloodstream bit by bit, keeping your body fueled.

But here's the twist:

When people overeat (especially foods high in sugar and fat) and aren't very active, the liver gets overloaded.

It starts turning excess sugar into fat.

Over time, this leads to fatty liver (literally fat being deposited in liver cells).

A fatty liver becomes less sensitive to insulin (the hormone that controls blood sugar).

So the liver keeps dumping sugar into the blood, even when it's not needed.

Result?

Blood sugar levels stay high all the time → body struggles to manage it → type 2 diabetes develops.

In short:

Old days: Liver = Hero, slow-release energy to survive famine.

Today: Liver = Overloaded, confused, "I'm just gonna keep releasing sugar because why not?" → Diabetes.

Imagine you have a water tank designed to fill slowly and release slowly during droughts.

Now if it’s raining constantly (modern diets), the tank overflows, the pipes burst, and instead of helping, it floods your entire garden (your bloodstream)