: Globally, all ancient populations have been frequently subjected to intermittent pressure by famine, especially since the dawn of agriculture. In a country like India where seasonal famines used to be the norm, the bodies of individuals would adapt to food shortage by lowering energy consumption. This would be followed by rapid deposit of energy as body fat in times of harvest. The stored fat would, in turn, be used to survive periods of starvation. Famine also lowered fertility levels.
Scientists call this the ‘thrifty gene hypothesis’. The hypothesis suggests that populations exposed to cycles of feast and famine adapt to lower caloric intakes by thriftiness. Advocates of this theory use it to explain why certain populations, particularly those in developing agricultural economies have a genetic predisposition to high levels of obesity and type II diabetes mellitus. Possible, this may be contributing to alarming rates of obesity and Type II diabetes milletus in sedentary, urbanized lifestyles being led by most of us today. In other words, the ‘thrifty genes’ make us more vulnerable to western obesogenic environment.
Navratras—the nine-day Hindu festival of fasting and prayers—could be rooted in such cycles of famine and feast. The festival is observed twice a year—in April and October — on the basis of the lunar calendar. Astrological significance notwithstanding, Navratara’s coincidence with harvest time may not be purely coincidental. In April and October, crops are harvested. The period before harvest in agricultural societies was marked by shortage of food and resultant frugality. According to the agricultural calendar, these times are followed by times of plenty or the harvest.
Navratras are perhaps a pre-harvest time when alternate grains are eaten and staples such as wheat, rice, pulses and vegetables are prohibited. Barley is sown and its greens are worshipped. Divine blessings are invoked. All these seem to point towards some sort of focus on fertility and agricultural prosperity, so important to our farming societies. Although, not much historical evidence has been recorded, we could assume that it was our ancestors’ way of marking starvation and times of plenty.
It must be stressed that the thrifty gene concept lacks experimental validation. However, it is exciting to understand whether evolution is to be blamed for our susceptibility to obesity and diabetes mellitus.
