Kenya Diet: Leave U.S., Stop Stressing, Eat Veggies, Lose 100 pounds

The WaPo had an interesting item yesterday about an African immigrant leaving the U.S. and going home because of the recession. But the thing that caught my eye was that James Odhiambo weighed 300 pounds when he was living in Dallas, and then lost 100 pounds after he went home. His wife went down four dress sizes. And it didn't seem like they were dieting. They just began living in a different country.

He wanted a healthier lifestyle for his family, less anxiety, fewer 14-hour days. So he recently traded his deluxe apartment, the pickup truck, the dishwasher and $4.99 McDonald's combos for life in a place he considers relatively better: sub-Saharan Africa.

"Right now I'm no stress, no anxiety," said Odhiambo, 34, relaxing in his family home in this western Kenyan city along the shores of Lake Victoria. "Think of it this way: When I was in the U.S., I was close to 300 pounds. Now, I'm like 200. The biggest thing for me was quality of life."

Why? No more fast food. His wife started buying veggies.

Instead of shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart, Odhiambo's wife heads to the local market and bargains for fresh tomatoes, onions and the Kenyan equivalent of collard greens, sukuma wiki. She has dropped four dress sizes.

Which is curious, considering this recent study highlighted by Marion Nestle that wealthier people eat better. That may be true, but what people buy is also influenced by availability, culture and geography. The Kenya couple, with their two kids, now live on about $5 a day.

But, okay, maybe you don't want to move to Kenya. Well Jane Black of WaPo reports on another encouraging development: doubling the value of food coupons at farmers' markets under a program developed by Wholesome Wave Foundation.

"The idea of doubling your money really resonates," said Daniel Ross, executive director of Nuestras Raices, a grass-roots community development group that helped administer the Holyoke matching program. "We've found in all our research that low-income people know what healthy food is, but because of price, they can't afford it. This helps them get the food they really want for their families."

Comments

[Ed Bruske]

Sam, there's plenty of literature showing obesity existing in the midst of poverty, usually because of a diet based primarily on carbohydrates (especially calorie-dense refined carbohydrates) and the insulin response (read fat storage) that ensues. There are even examples from African tribes, where mothers are obese and their children are exhibiting classic signs of malnutrition. Besides not eating fast food any more, it would be helpful to know where this couple is now getting their calories, or if in fact they are consuming fewer calories than before. Tomatoes, onions and collard greens are a source of good nutrition, but they're not a primary source of calories.

[Lorrie King]

Thank you so much for this post. My friends used to think I was crazy when I told them I was guaranteed a 10 pound weight loss, each time I took an assignment in East Africa. I walked everywhere, but I also ate fresh, local foods and consumed water more than any other beverage. Though I was working in very rural conditions without electricity or running water, I never felt more satisified or full in my life. I was content with my lifestyle, and therefore, I believe more in tune with my body and the world around. Thanks again.
Lorrie
http://read-n-eat.com/

[Kyoung]

I'm sure a lot of people can attest to the same thing about moving to another country and losing weight. I'm Korean and I see tons of Korean exchange students come here and gain weight and go back to Korea and lose the weight. The primary reason, I think, is the food - Korean diet contains less fat in general. There's also the lifestyle: life in Korea is a lot more stressful, and we think that contributes to losing weight (which is contrary to what is written here, but I guess it can work both ways). Also, you walk around a lot more, because people usually take public transportation. There is also the social pressure to lose weight, since everyone (esp girls) is super skinny over there and they don't even make bigger size clothing (which is bad). It would be interesting to hear from other foreigners' perspective, because we always talk about this (why people come to the US and gain weight) and we all have our theories of why it is.

[Jess Fanzo]

I am an American who has lived in Kenya the past year, with many trips to Kisumu, a city on Lake Victoria. The Kenya diet is by no means superior to a US diet, but if this couple was consuming a high dense fast food dominated diet, than a US diet can definitely put on the pounds. Upon returning home, I would assume they ate more seasonable fruits in Kisumu and consumed more leafy greens, as most Kenyans do (called sukumawiki). However Kenyans in general eat a lot of food at each meal, with an average of 2-3 cups of “ugali” a stiff maize porridge and usually meat (beef or goat) if they are able to afford. This is usually consumed at lunch and dinner for most. For breakfast, mandazis or fried doughnuts are consumed with tea. The tea in Kenya is made of whole milk, not water, and lots of sugar. From a calorie to calorie perspective, I am curious to know how they lost the weight. I wonder if they walked more in Kenya as well? Many walk in Kenya, particularly Kisumu. There may be also a basic adaptation – when you are not at home, and consuming the foods you are used to, it can be a stressor, and you don’t always make the right food choices.

[Sam Fromartz]

Yes, I wondered about walking too ...

[Molly]

I think any opportunity someone has to get away from fast food temptations is a good thing. Maybe it doesn't have to be Africa, perhaps a move to a more rural area with more fruits and vegetables here in the US is possible. For some who are obese and their health is at stake, I think a change in environment could be very necessary.