Why Brown Bodies Hold More Belly Fat
How colonization, famine, and genetics shaped our health today
I used to think my belly fat was just about food and exercise.
Eat less, move more, lose the weight. Right?
But the more I learned, the more I realized this isn’t just about my habits.
It’s about history.
Our history.
South Asians carry a unique risk: more belly fat, more blood sugar issues, and higher rates of diabetes, even when we don’t look “overweight.”
And it isn’t random. It’s written in our DNA.
Something no doctor ever told me.
The Science of Brown Bodies
South Asians tend to:
Store more fat around the belly (visceral fat - the kind that wraps around our organs)
Have less muscle to burn energy
Increased risk of blood sugar problems even at smaller body sizes
This means you can look “normal” in clothes and still be at higher risk for diabetes or heart disease.
But why?
The Shadow of Colonization and Famine
For generations, our ancestors survived under scarcity.
Famines, many made worse by colonial policies, meant our bodies had to adapt.
Our bodies learned to store fat quickly and hold onto it tightly.
But survival skills in scarcity become vulnerabilities in abundance.
Today, surrounded by rice, roti, sweets, and processed foods, the same biology that once saved us now works against us.
Culture + Modern Life
Layer on top of that:
Carb-heavy diets centered on rice, breads, and sweets
Family rules that make it rude to say no to food
Office lifestyles with less movement
And you get the perfect storm: brown bodies that carry belly fat differently, often without warning signs until it’s too late.
Why This Matters to Me
When doctors told me I’d need yearly scans because of my risk for plaque in my arteries, I realized this wasn’t just about what I was eating today. It was about what my body inherited centuries ago.
Because no one told me this wasn’t just about weight. It was about how my body processes sugar, stress, and fat, things brown bodies carry differently.
But here’s what I refuse to accept:
That our history has to define our future.
We can respect where we came from and rewrite the story forward.
What I’m building will not erase calcification. However, it supports the root systems, blood sugar, cravings, and metabolism, which can help lower the risks of these silent killers: heart disease.
We’re Not Broken. We’re Built for Survival.
If you’ve ever felt confused by your cravings, your belly fat, your doctor’s vague advice, please know: your body isn’t weird or broken.
You are carrying history in your blood.
And now, you get to choose how to rewrite it.