In our modern world of convenience and comfort, it’s easy to forget that our bodies are the product of millions of years of evolution. We often take for granted the incredible adaptability of the human body, but this adaptability comes with a catch: our bodies require specific stimuli to maintain optimal health. This isn’t just a theory—it’s a biological reality that has profound implications for our health and well-being in the 21st century.
The Evolutionary Mismatch
Our bodies are essentially the same as those of our ancestors from 300,000 years ago. These early Homo sapiens lived in an environment that was:
- Movement-rich and calorie-scarce
- Full of varied, unprocessed foods
- Filled with physical challenges and environmental stressors
Our bodies didn’t just adapt to survive in these conditions—they evolved to require these stimuli to function optimally. When we don’t provide our bodies with these necessary inputs, our health suffers.
The Rise of Osteoporosis: A Stark Example
One of the clearest examples of this principle in action is the rising incidence of osteoporosis in the Western world. This condition, characterized by weak and brittle bones, is being diagnosed in younger and younger populations. But why?
The answer lies in the drastic change in our lifestyle:
- Decreased physical demands: We’re no longer subjecting our bones to the regular stress they need to maintain density.
- Critical development period: Bone density is largely determined between birth and age 20, with peak density reached around age 30.
- Use it or lose it: Without sufficient physical stimuli, our bodies don’t invest energy in maintaining strong bones.
The Double-Whammy Effect
The rise in osteoporosis is due to a two-fold problem:
- Lower peak bone density in younger populations
- More rapid decrease in bone density with age
This is a direct result of our modern, sedentary lifestyle. Our ancestors engaged in activities that naturally stressed their bones—running, jumping, lifting, and carrying. These activities signaled to the body that strong bones were necessary for survival.
The Body’s Clever Design
You might wonder: why doesn’t our body just maintain maximum bone density all the time? The answer lies in the energy-scarce environment our bodies evolved in.
Our bodies use the physical demands we place on them as informational input. They then allocate resources (in this case, to bone density) based on perceived need. This design is incredibly efficient in an environment where energy conservation is crucial for survival.
- If we engage in high-impact activities, our body increases bone density.
- If we don’t, our body allocates those resources elsewhere.
This system works beautifully when physical demands vary within a range that is already very high. However, in our modern, predominantly sedentary lifestyle, this system breaks down. Our bodies simply aren’t getting the signals they need to maintain optimal health.
Synergy between environment, lifestyle and body
Another way to think about this is to think about it is our bodies requiring a synergy with the stimuli they receive from their environment.
The environment defines the set of constraints all animals have to cope with. Humans then chose a lifestyle that was helping them cope with the environment as it was around 300,000 years ago. In turn, our bodies evolved to select the traits that made them as suitable as possible for the tasks required by this lifestyle and the resulting stimuli.
Beyond Bones: The Wider Implications
While osteoporosis provides a clear example, this principle applies to virtually every aspect of our physiology:
- Muscles: Without regular use, they atrophy.
- Cardiovascular system: Lack of aerobic activity leads to decreased efficiency.
- Metabolism: Absence of periodic fasting can lead to metabolic disorders.
- Mental health: Lack of social interaction and environmental variability can impact cognitive function and emotional well-being.
Our bodies adapt to the environment we live in, and this adaptation is mediated by our lifestyle. In other words, our daily habits and activities directly shape our health. And they’re in turn shaped by the environment we live in.
The Solution: A Foresighted Approach
So, what’s the solution? Should we all abandon modern life and return to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle? Of course not. Such a drastic step is neither desirable nor feasible for most of us. Moreover, we’d be giving up the many benefits of modern life, including advances in medicine and technology that have dramatically improved our quality of life and longevity.
Instead, we need to adopt what I call a foresighted lifestyle. This approach involves:
- Understanding our body’s needs: Recognizing the types of stimuli our bodies require for optimal health.
- Incorporating natural movements: Finding ways to include activities that mimic the movements our ancestors performed daily.
- Balancing modern comforts with biological necessities: Leveraging technology and modern knowledge to meet our body’s needs efficiently.
- Prioritizing variety: Exposing ourselves to a range of physical activities, foods, and environmental conditions.
By adopting a foresighted lifestyle, we can take advantage of modern progress while accounting for our human nature. This balanced approach allows us to maintain optimal health without sacrificing the benefits of contemporary life.
Our bodies are marvels of evolutionary engineering, capable of incredible feats of strength, endurance, and adaptation. But this adaptability is a double-edged sword. Without the right inputs—the physical, nutritional, and environmental stimuli our bodies expect—they break down.