WEIRD bodies: mismatch, medicine and missing diversity

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Human health
• Biomedical science

Background:

• Conventional medical science relies heavily on data from European descent populations in industrialized settings.
• Modern lifestyles and exposures differ significantly from ancestral conditions, limiting current health paradigms.
• This narrow focus restricts the understanding and treatment of chronic and mismatch diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the biased representation of industrialized populations in biomedical journals.
• To compare health and morbidity patterns across global regions.
• To advocate for incorporating diverse populations and evolutionary perspectives in health research.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of representation in high-profile biomedical journals.
• Comparison of morbidity and health patterns globally.
• Examination of demographic rates and selection forces in different populations.

Main Results:

• Biomedical research is heavily biased towards industrialized populations.
• Significant differences exist in health and morbidity across world regions.
• Selection pressures on fertility and survivorship have changed dramatically with industrialization.

Conclusions:

• Preventing and treating chronic and mismatch diseases requires broader population sampling and evolutionary insights.
• The evolutionary mismatch hypothesis needs critical evaluation considering population history and biology.
• Changes in pathogen burden, reproductive effort, and physical activity are key factors in mismatch diseases.