In the highlands, lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension were not common among the local people because their caloric intake was low and they maintained high levels of physical activity. However, current changes in their lifestyles have increased occurrence of these diseases. Thus, our study aims to reveal how humans had adapted to highland environments physiologically and culturally, and how current lifestyle changes affect the adaptation balance of highlanders living in Ladakh, India.
In this article, we will first describe the traditional lifestyle and the changes it has experienced in 3 settings in Ladakh；Leh, the central town in Ladakh （3600m ASL）；Changtang plateau, a nomadic area（4200-4900m ASL）；and Domkhar valley, a place where agriculture and animal husbandry are practiced（3000-3800 ASL）. Secondly, the methods and results of a medical survey conducted in these 3 settings will be introduced with a focus on nutrition and diabetes.
People in the Changtang plateau, used to live by nomadic pastoralism and trade. They still continue their traditional system of the pastoralism today. Nonetheless the long-distance “caravan trade” which used to span from Tibet in the north to Zanskar in the west, and beyond, disappeared about 15 years ago.
In the Domkhar valley, pastoral transhumance of yak, dzomo（female hybrid of a cow and yak）, dzo（male dzomo） and balang（local cattle） has been practiced concurrently with agriculture in this area. The agro-pastoral complex in Domkhar had been adapted to the severe natural environments in this area and developed unique characteristics. It is also related strongly to the social systems such as reciprocal aid in the community. However, the younger generations have increasingly begun working in military-related jobs and tend to leave their villages, which is resulting in the drastic decrease of livestock. Their traditional lifestyle had also been changing with modernization. In the background of these changes were the border dispute with China, newly-opened paved roads, food aid from the government, and the transition to a market economy caused by the rapid urban growth of Leh, compounded by expanding tourism and military needs.
Our nutritional survey revealed that the nutritional intake of highlanders in Ladakh was not sufficient in both quality and quantity, which reflects the severe environment lacking of food recourses. On the other hand, the increase of lifestyle-related diseases and excessive nutrient consumption has emerged as a social problem in the central town Leh and even in Domkhar village. We analyzed the association between nutritional intake and diabetes and found that the prevalence of diabetes was higher not only in the high energy intake group, but also in the low energy intake group, compared to the adequate energy intake group. Food diversity was low in the low energy intake group in Leh. This can be considered due to an unbalanced diet excessive in carbohydrates. These factors might have contributed to the diabetic status.
Changes in dietary habits can also be observed by considering peopleʼs food preferences. The drastic change in the main staple food from barley to rice or wheat affected the dietary intake of the highlanders who had been adapted to the traditional dietary habits. These changes might have led to an increase in lifestyle-related diseases. These findings illustrate the growing importance of health education about the need to strengthen the food supply, which was not sufficient such as vegetables, and the importance of reconsidering the significance of traditional foods.
雑誌名
放送大学研究年報 = Journal of The Open University of Japan
巻
32
ページ
45 - 67
発行年
2015-03-20
出版者
放送大学
ISSN
0911-4505
書誌レコードID
AN10019636
論文ID（NAID）
40020473095
著者版フラグ
publisher
放送大学機関リポジトリとは
放送大学機関リポジトリ（The Open University of Japan Repository）では、放送大学で生産された学術成果を収集・蓄積し、広く公開しています。
ヒマラヤ・ラダーク地方における高所適応とその変容 (1) 生業と食を中心に
ヒマラヤ・ラダーク地方における高所適応とその変容 （1）生業と食を中心に
(1.51MB)
