Seasonal hunger, as experienced by the Oto and the Twa of a Ntomba village in the equatorial forest (lake Tumba, Zaire)

Abstract

An anthropometric study in a Ntomba village showed how the socioeconomic categories of adult men were differently affected by seasonal weight loss. The major rainy season is experienced as a hungry season mainly because of the scarcity of animal foodstuff. During this time, 68 percent of the Oto and 75 percent of the Twa pygmoids living in the same village lost weight (0.6 kg to 2.2 kg depending on age subgroup). Among the Oto, neither the fishermen nor the young villagers who did not change their food strategy lost significant weight, although the values were much higher among the former. The seasonal fishermen, who returned to the village during the rainy season, lost the most but recovered their initial weight during the following dry season. Also, the Twa and the elderly Oto were significantly affected. The changes in lean arm circumference and subscapular skinfold appeared to be associated with the weight loss.