
How mutton flaps are killing Tonga - finid
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35346493
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callmeed
I studied this topic a bit in a Food & Culture class last semester and this is
the first time I've heard of mutton flaps or turkey tails being a likely
culprit with regards to obesity in Pacific Islanders.

My understanding is that most experts put it on (a) the introduction of high-
sugar/starch/carb processed foods (after all, isn't that where most experts
pin obesity now?) and (b) the "Thrifty Gene" theory:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrifty_gene_hypothesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrifty_gene_hypothesis)

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barsonme
I noticed the article said that 100g of mutton flaps is around 400 kcal.

If the average Tongan can or will eat 1kg of mutton flaps per day (like the
article says) that's insane and definitely a cause of obesity. (Or, at least
should be.)

I lift weights 5+ times a week (for about an hour) and if I ate over 4,000
kcals I'd be obese too.

I can't imagine that average Tongan exerts enough energy to make up for eating
4,000 kcals worth of mutton flaps.

~~~
throwaway76543
When I was lifting three times a week and running three times a week I would
eat much more than that on an average day. If you're working hard to gain
muscle you can consume a surprisingly large caloric intake.

4kcal is about right for an average person on a gain diet. Source:
[http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/gain-mass/eat-
mass...](http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/gain-mass/eat-massive-get-
massive)

At the olympic level some people consume 8kcal/day or more.

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danso
A little OT...but have mutton flaps reached any level of popularity in bigger
nations' cuisines? I'm thinking in terms of pork belly, which used to be a
cheap cut of meat but now fetches $10 for a couple of slices in David Chang's
New York restaurants. I've never heard of mutton flaps before but if it's that
tasty as to wreck a Pacific nation's diet, I wonder if it'll be the next big
thing served by Brooklyn food trucks.

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mst
Doner kebabs are a pretty popular drunk food in the UK and Europe. They're a
bit on the fatty/greasy side to be much to my taste while sober usually.

~~~
smcl
They're actually pretty popular non-drunk on the continent - it's a slightly
different offering, since back in the UK they tend to be a little bit of a
mess while here they tend to be wrapped up neatly in a flatbread.

~~~
mst
I've had doner meat and chips in a flatbread cone in italy. It was amazing. I
was, however, drunk at the time. Guess I'll have to try and get around to
trying one sober one day :)

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themodelplumber
Crazy, about 20 years ago I read an article saying turkey tails were probably
a huge cause of obesity in pacific islands. Then just now I wondered if I had
confused them with mutton flaps...but no. Separate things! And it appears
Samoa banned turkey tails in 2007 [0] until their desire to join the WTO
_forced_ them to drop the ban completely as of 2016! Insanity.

Seriously, these people are being abused, are they not?

0:
[http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/05/14/182568333/sam...](http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/05/14/182568333/samoans-
await-the-return-of-the-tasty-turkey-tail)

~~~
zyxley
> "I know it may seem ironic but fish and native staple foods do cost more
> than turkey tails," she says.

> James Sumner, president of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Exporting Council, says
> his organization didn't realize they were exporting turkey tails to Samoa
> until he learned about the ban.

> And since the late 1990s, the poor island nation of just under 200,000
> people had been trying to join the WTO, hoping to improve its economy with a
> gross domestic product of less than $2 billion.

It seems like something that's less "abuse" (at least in the sense that
anyone's consciously doing it), and more a result of dirt-cheap imported food
in a nation where most people don't have much money.

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rayiner
The mutton flap angle is bullshit. Here is the real problem:

> According to Soakai, it's not unusual for a Tongan to eat 1kg of mutton
> flaps in one sitting.

~~~
elnate
Their food culture is the problem. Obesity is a massive issue for islander
communities in NZ and the country at large, and there are plenty of other cuts
of meat available.

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rasz_pl
nice click bait title, should be "How eating over 1kg of stuff per sitting is
killing Tonga".

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venomsnake
That is a good showcase about how massive caloric surplus leads to obesity no
matter the source. They are almost on keto.

~~~
hueving
Almost on keto isn't keto. If they drink a sugary drink with their meal it
will completely defeat the point.

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oniMaker
Another good reason to stop eating meat altogether. Since I've been
vegetarian, and now vegan, I've lost weight, gained energy, and _feel_ so much
better. I feel as if my mind is much sharper than it used to be when I ate
meat.

This would not only be much healthier for these people (and all people) but it
would also be _cheaper_. Examine the logic from any angle you choose, and the
solution is quite apparent.

P.S. Yes, I expected the downvotes. But it's still worth speaking up when
there is an obvious solution to these kinds of problems...

~~~
colechristensen
Anecdotal evidence is bad evidence.

I started praying to this cool rock I found, and the moon is in Sagittarius;
guess what?! I've lost 5 pounds and am getting performance compliments at
work!

~~~
oniMaker
It's an anecdote from me personally, but there is a large wealth of research
that's easy to find on the subject. I encourage you to do more reading if it
interests you.

