A "thrifty gene" puts American Indians at risk for developing diabetes and other related diseases, according to Newsweek.

In an upcoming issue, the magazine cites studies that show the ancestors of the first Americans developed the gene in order to go without food in Arctic temperatures. But now that Indians live in warmer climates, this trait supposedly makes them vulnerable to high-fat, high-cholesterol diets.

Some experts say the loss of traditional foods and a move towards a sedentary lifestyle has contributed to exploding rate of diabetes in Indian Country.

Get the Story:
Ancestors' gene may be responsible for fat: report (Press Trust 1/31)
Diet and Genes (Newsweek 1/17)

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