Why Are Polynesians So Big? – All you Need To Know About The Polynesians

Polynesians are a group of people that are unified by a common ethnicity and language. They are natives of the islands in the Polynesian Triangle (a region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean).

They trace their origins to Island South East Asia in Taiwan. Due to their reputation as great navigators and adventurists, they are found worldwide.

The places include Zealand, United States, France, etc. However, the Polynesians have their independent states: Samoa, Niue, Cook Island, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

They have an estimated population of two million Polynesians across the world. The attribute of the Polynesians that instead raises curiosity is the body size of the majority of them.

They are so big. Most of them who are age fifteen and above tend to be obese. So,

Why Are Polynesians So Big?

Generally, Polynesians are born big-boned. However, it’s their sedentary type of lifestyle that makes them so significant. The islanders have an abundance of natural and nutritious foods to eat. However, their active lifestyle and healthy eating are not the only factors behind the big bodies.

To prove that most Polynesians are associated with large body sizes, we look at examples of known celebrities who are Polynesians.

Dwayne Johnson, famously known as “the rock,” is a Polynesian. He has featured once as a wrestler, actor, and big-time filmmaker. As his name suggests, he is well built and massive.

Roman Reigns is another character from the Polynesian community, and he is a wrestler; he is tall and well built.

He acts as a wrestler and has also taken part in movies and films. Tanya’s Reed is also a Polynesia. He too is very well built and also a famous actor and fighter.

These are the few Polynesians that took advantage of their vast body sizes and mass to rise to fame. The pacific islands are also known to be the scouting grounds for American football players.

Those who understand the sport know that it is vital for a player to have particular muscles and strong bones.

The idea that football scouts choose to survey the pacific islands in talent symbolizes just how solid and heavy the Polynesian community is.

Reasons Why Polynesians Are Big

The Polynesians are not as famous. However, their body size has raised lots of questions, and many people became interested in them. In addition to body size, the Polynesian lands have produced some notable talents.

These individuals have performed well in their different careers and raised eyebrows. Here are several factors that can be considered in trying to explain this common trait among the Polynesian:

1. Origin and Migration

The origin of the Polynesians is a vital aspect. It explains their large body size. They have their ancestry traced to the southeast part of Asia.

It’s more than four thousand years ago when humans first sailed to Fiji and the neighboring islands of the pacific ocean.

The shortest distance from land to the islands is estimated to be five thousand six hundred and thirty-two miles.

This is equivalent to nine thousand and sixty-four kilometers. The distance, which is considered the shortest, is insanely long if you consider the fact that the voyage was through sea and by use of canoes.

Voyage by sea is perceived as dangerous. A traveler can be subjected to some potential risks, such as drowning.

During their migration time, there were no life vests. So, presumably, swimming was the only way to survive if a vessel capsized.

However, even strong swimmers are not immune to drowning. Most of them died during the migration.

Another risk faced when swimming was hypothermia or cold water shock. It’s the situation where one suddenly becomes incapable of moving or controlling their breath.

There were also natural water conditions that can be very unfriendly. Such required a lot of skill and strength for a traveler to maneuver through big waves, tides, and wind currents.

It is safe to assume that those that made it through the voyage were, without doubt, strong physically.

They could withstand harsh conditions. This tells us that the Polynesians we see today had an ancestry line of potent genes. It’s one of the reasons why they are so strong and significant.

2. Their Culture

The Polynesians have a unique culture. As a result, there is an excellent revelation in Polynesian societies’ social behavior and norms.

It consists of beliefs, laws, customs, and habits. Their culture mirrors and completely rhymes with their body size.

Several practices can be articulated and explained to show why this group of people is huge. Here are some of the practices:

3. Exploration

Exploration is one of the practiced cultures among the Polynesians. They perfected seafaring and boat crafting techniques.

Navigating the sea requires a good amount of strength. In addition, crafting a canoe from a log of trees in the olden days wasn’t easy. It could not have been possible without strong hands to perform the craftsmanship.

4. Diet

Being Islanders, we can take a closer look at their diet. Their primary source of fresh non-salty water is from coconuts that they constantly hydrate from.

Coconut oil increases testosterone and has nearly as much protein as milk. Thus they quickly get plenty of good fat and protein.

Moreover, their diet was mainly fruits and fish. Fish is among the best protein sources and contains amino acids. Amino acids are known to form the building blocks used for muscle growth.

5. Warfare

Warfare was an activity practiced by most traditional communities. The Polynesians are no exception.

It was in Tonga and Samoa that the Polynesians recognized warriors. They used tattoos which played a hugely significant role in both religious rituals and warfare.

The warrior tattoos usually began at the waist and ended just below the knee. The practice of tattooing warriors shows how serious the Polynesian community was with warfare.

This indicates that they were formidable and fearsome. Therefore, we can safely assume that even during ancient times, these warriors were giant, just as their people are now.

6. Wrestling

It is a vital aspect to have a good look into. Samoans and other islanders were always challenging one another.

They wrestled a lot and were great warriors. Having weight and size was vital to being a good warrior. Most winners must have been powerful.

The strongest wrestlers usually bred with more women, spreading their genes. In addition, the Polynesians preferred big women.

The most prominent strongest male wrestlers breeding with big strong women sired powerful offspring.

7. Their Genetics

I guess you know what genetics is. It’s the study of genes, people’s genetic variation, and their heredity. Trait inheritance is essential to understand. The Polynesians are linked to their ancestry.

This confirms that their body size is hereditary.

There are patterns in the way different traits are passed down from parents to their children. Genetic processes also work in combination.

The combination is between two things. It’s majorly between the environment and specific experiences. These two influence the development and behavior of an individual.

The study of genetics suggests that Polynesians are enormous due to trait inheritance. Environmental factors might have played a key role.

Their ancestry is also associated with colossal body size genes. This depicts a scenario where these genes are passed onto the offspring.

8. Obesity

A body mass index (BMI) calculation is performed to measure body size. Polynesians and associated states make up the top seven in the list of heaviest countries.

This shows just how huge they are. In addition, more than seventy percent of citizens aged fifteen and above are obese.

These islanders also account for drastically high rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The genetic factor has led to the emergence of the obesity situation.

Some people have genes that make it difficult for them to lose weight. The environment also influences the above condition through eating habits and activeness considering everyday activities.

Many argue that the BMI for Polynesians should be adjusted. It’s because they have much more giant bones and muscle mass compared to others. Regardless, diabetes type 2 cases are pretty high in the region.

Before, Polynesians only did traditional foods such as meat, fruits, and fresh meat. Today they are so much into processed food such as sugar, canned meat, etc.

It’s because their island is a great tourist attraction. So many tourists prefer these canned and processed foods.

Conclusion

The Polynesians are such big and powerful people. Their past ways of life, including voyaging and seafaring, symbolized a very strong group of people.

In many ways, the past events of the Polynesian community show that their huge body size may have been hereditary.

The huge size can also be due to obesity. This is caused by changes in the environment and eating habits, and genetic variation.

The Polynesians are conclusively enormous. Even though right now, most of them might be obese.

It would be best if they follow in the footsteps of their known celebrities. Then, they can use their natural extra mass and muscle to their advantage.