The Hunter, The Gatherer, The Obese: Is Diet or Exercise More Important for Good Health?

(CC) Gareth Williams/Flickr

According to ancient history and the theory of Darwinism, there is a hunter/gatherer aspect of being human that no longer exists in today’s modern world. When human civilization first developed, there was a strenuous amount of physical exercise involved in finding, killing and preparing our food that counteracted the calories that were consumed. Today, it’s as easy as going down to the local fast food chain and picking what you want off the menu. Could this be why obesity is such an epidemic?

Herman Pontzer, who is an assistant professor of anthropology at Hunter College, did a study with some of his colleagues to see if there was any correlation. They sought the answer to this question by studying the daily energy expenditure rate of Tanzania’s Hadza people. They are one of the few cultures left in the world who have a hunter/gatherer-based culture. The results were surprising.

Pontzer and his team discovered that physical expenditure is not the source of obesity, but rather dietary choices and calorie intake. This doesn’t mean physical exercise isn’t as important as one’s diet, but choosing wisely and limiting sugar intake seems to be the key to a healthy weight.

(By Marissa Brassfield for CalorieLab)

Ed. note: Enjoyed this post? Click the “Like” button below and be sure to “Like” the CalorieLab Facebook page.

The Hunter, The Gatherer, The Obese: Is Diet or Exercise More Important for Good Health? is a post from: CalorieLab - Health News & Information Blog

Source: http://calorielab.com/news/2012/09/03/diet-or-exercise-good-health/

diet solution program bland diet menus weight loss foods hcg diet drops cholesterol diet