The plight of modern Bushmen

The nutritional status of 51 adult Bushmen in northeast Namibia, who have been forced to abandon their traditional hunter/gatherer lifestyle and merge with pastural/urbanized Hereros of Bantu origin, was assessed. Controls were 23 local medical staff and investigators. The diet was very unbalanced, consisting of little more than refined maize meal. Any money earned was usually spent on alcoholic beverages which, at such times, replaced normal food intake. Although short stature is thought to be genetic in origin (Bushmen were on average 15 cm shorter than Hereros), body mass corrected for height was severely diminished in 30% of adults, fat stores were depleted in 70%, and arm muscle was reduced in 75%. In general, women were more depleted than men. Blood tests showed low plasma vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin A and E concentrations compared with controls. Plasma protein concentrations suggested a high frequency of chronic liver or enteric diseases. Examination of 44 hospital patients showed that 85% had pulmonary tuberculosis, and nutritional depletion was universal. The results raise serious doubts about the survival of Bushmen as an independent ethnic group.