I know that obesity in America has been a major problem for the past few decades, and it's only getting worse. Obviously, there are many things causing this, like poor diet, not enough exercise, and so on, but it got me thinking: Were there any obese or fat humans that lived during the paleolithic era? It seems that with their high-protein diet of mostly meat and plants, and the exercise they got from gathering/hunting food, they would be pretty healthy, but what if they were injured? For example, if a hunter fell and broke their leg while pursuing a deer, and was unable to walk (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming they didn't have the technology to fix broken bones), would they ever have the chance to get fat or would they be left behind by their nomadic counterparts? Also, what can we learn from the early humans to reduce obesity? Thanks in advance, guys. Any feedback would be awesome! :)
Of course there were. In fact, [there is evidence] (http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/venus-figurines-european-paleolithic-era-001548) from paleolithic art that obesity in women was something that was prized.
Paleolithic/Cro-Magnon/Hunter Gatherer societies weren't all about scrapping to survive all the time. There were many times when food was in abundance and there were always people within the societies who would live more sedentary lives and would be more likely to gain weight.
I can't answer your question on people with disabilities or broken limbs as I don't know.