World's No. 1 Exercise Professor: "Our Comfortable Lives Are Causing Cancer", "The Truth About Running", "Hand Sanitiser Is Making You Sick!
Jan 29, 2024
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Dr Lieberman, Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, discusses how our comfortable lives are causing cancer, the truth about running, and how hand sanitiser is making us sick. He explores topics like human evolution, veganism, commuting, and the lessons we can learn from hunter-gatherers.
Our bodies are poorly adapted to the modern Western lifestyle, leading to diseases like cancer, heart disease, and obesity.
Understanding the evolutionary history of our diet can help navigate modern food choices and make informed decisions about our health.
Cultural changes have made us more sedentary, leading to weak backs, decreased bone density, and increased disease risk.
Preventing mismatch diseases involves adopting a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity, managing stress, and avoiding behaviors that contribute to these diseases.
Deep dives
Mismatch diseases and the modern health crisis
The vast majority of evidence suggests that many diseases we face today, such as cancer, heart disease, and obesity, are mismatches. Our bodies are poorly adapted to the modern Western lifestyle, which includes chronic stress, sedentary behavior, and a diet high in sugar and saturated fat. These mismatches lead to health problems, but addressing the root causes can significantly reduce the risk of these diseases.
Evolutionary origins and changes in human diet
Humans evolved as hunter-gatherers, and our bodies are adapted to a diverse diet that includes meat, plants, and other foods. However, cultural evolution and technological advancements have led to a wide range of food choices today. This can create a mismatch between our biology and the foods we consume. Understanding the evolutionary history of our diet can help us navigate the complexities of modern food choices and make informed decisions about our health.
The impact of cultural changes on our physical abilities
As our culture has evolved, our physical abilities have also changed. We have become more sedentary, spending long hours sitting and engaging in less physical activity. This lifestyle mismatch has consequences for our health, such as weak backs, decreased bone density, and increased risk of disease. By recognizing the impact of cultural changes on our physical abilities, we can take proactive steps to incorporate more physical activity into our daily lives.
Addressing mismatch diseases through prevention
While mismatch diseases are prevalent in modern society, we have the power to prevent them by addressing the root causes. This includes adopting a healthy diet that is aligned with our evolutionary past, engaging in regular physical activity, managing stress levels, and avoiding behavior that contributes to these diseases. By focusing on prevention rather than just symptom management, we can significantly reduce the risk of mismatch diseases and improve overall health and wellbeing.
Mismatch Diseases and Factors Contributing to Cancer Rates
Our modern lifestyle and environment have led to a rise in mismatch diseases, such as cancer. Factors like high insulin levels, exposure to carcinogens, sedentary lifestyles, and excessive energy intake contribute to increased rates of cancer. Studies show that cancer rates are higher in countries with higher GDP, indicating a correlation between economic status and cancer incidence. Additionally, hunter-gatherer populations, with fewer menstrual cycles and more physical activity, tend to have lower rates of ovarian and breast cancers. Understanding these factors can help us make healthier lifestyle choices.
Energy Storage and Impact on Health
Fat stores in the body, consisting of triglycerides, contain a significant amount of stored energy. Our body either burns or stores this energy. Sedentary lifestyles and excessive energy intake lead to storage of excess fat, especially visceral fat around the abdomen. When fat cells become overfilled, they can rupture, triggering an immune response and chronic inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with various health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Exercise and intermittent fasting can help regulate energy balance and mitigate the negative effects of excess fat storage.
Mismatch Diseases and Lifestyle Choices
Our modern lifestyle, characterized by comfort and convenience, may contribute to the rise of mismatch diseases. Excessive comfort-seeking behavior, diminishing physical activity, reliance on sanitized environments, and overuse of cosmetic and chemical products can disrupt the body's natural adaptations. We are facing an ongoing vicious cycle, wherein treating the symptoms of mismatch diseases instead of addressing their root causes exacerbates the problem. Being skeptical of marketing claims, evaluating our choices, and considering more natural alternatives can help foster healthier lifestyles and break this cycle.
We may have health monitors and fitness trackers, but could it be the case that even with this technology, humans are actually reversing evolutionary progress?
Dr Lieberman is the Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on how the human body has evolved to be the way it is, he also explores how humans evolved to run long distances to scavenge and hunt. He is the author of the best-selling books, ‘The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease’ and ‘Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding’.
In this conversation Daniel and Steven discuss topics, such as if human evolution is going backwards, why veganism is not the answer, how commuting is making you fat and what we can learn from hunter-gatherers.
You can purchase Daniel’s book, ‘Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health’, here: https://amzn.to/48OfQVI
