Cambodians have surprisingly high rates of diabetes. Why?

Is it because they put a lot of sugar in their coffee?

This is what one expatriate told me when I mentioned that I was excited to have Cambodian coffee again. To paraphrase “Be careful, you’ll get diabetes.” I normally drink my coffee black so it’s a moot point but I wonder – do Cambodians really put more sugar in their coffee than the massive amount of sugar in North American soda?

Is it because they put a lot of MSG in their food?

This is what another expatriate told me when the subject of diabetes came up. I’m not a fan of MSG and there is research showing a link with diabetes… But why would Cambodians have higher rates of diabetes than other populations with high MSG consumption?

Is it because of epigenetic damage caused by the severe famines of the late 70s and early 80s?

Yes. This would explain why Cambodians have higher rates of diabetes than other populations with similar diets. The Daily Beast published a comprehensive article on this in 2017 – How Famines Make Future Generations Fat – that summarizes the research well.

In short, while high sugar and MSG intakes may be contributing factors, severe famine causes epigenetic damage that leaves future generations predisposed to conditions like diabetes. This effect has been documented in other populations that underwent severe famine, including survivors of the ‘Hunger Winter’ in the Netherlands.

The Khmer Rouge were overthrown 40 years ago but their legacy continues to cause harm across generations.