Off Topic: Modern Life vs the body

[kiddbjj]

Hey all

So today I was thinking about modern life and it's effects on the human body, something we hear about all the time what with obesity, heart disease etc. Which got me to thinking, what has the body actually evolved to be doing? What kind of lifestyle are we physically suited to? Why do things like sitting at a desk all day in a cubicle fill us with dread?

So I thought I would put it to you good folk to get your opinions.

'What kind of lifestyle has the human body evolved to fulfill, and, why do we seem to be heading in a direction that contradicts our basic physical nature?'

Tell me what you think, I'm very keen to see some ideas thrown around!

[glendanfig]

fucking n fighting...

[kiddbjj]

help me out here mike!

surely someone has an opinion?

[Tant01]

We are so far off track in the world it's not even funny. For my part I like to WORK at a farm where we grow ORGANIC food. You work, you eat. That simple. We are "hunter gatherers" but how many of us can even butcher our own food? Or grow it?

There you go...an opinion.

LOL

[glendanfig]

well my post was meant to be serious...our bodies are pretty much design to procreate, and in order to survive long enough to accomplish that goal, we must fight all the time. our bodies can take and dish out a certain amount of punishment that is solely for the purpose of the survival of our species. we can do anything we put our minds to, live on the moon, or in a 8by8 cell...our original design was survival and i like to think it still is...

[Heroic Wolf]

Erm, I think modern life has made the most athletic more athletic than our ancestors due to knowledge of scientific training and nutrition. However, the average man of today is probably weaker than his average ancestor.

[Eagleye]

Fighting, Sports and Sex.

[Britt]

We evolved over millenia to be hunter-gatherers, and biologically, we still are. We crave calories and calorie dense fats and store excess caloric intake as body fat for times when we can't get food. That saved our lives as hunter gatherers, but it's causing obesity and diabetes today. We have more access to whatever kinds of food we want in any quantity, and to make matters worse we're much more sedentary.

[kiddbjj]

thanks for the replies folks. Looks like we're all in agreement about our hunter-gatherer biology.

So my next question would be, if this is the case, how does this knowledge/concept influence the way you live your life??

Does it effect the job you take? or the way you think about what you eat? how you live?

And is there anything we can do to get back to a more natural life without completely abandoning the modern world?

[Little Apple]

Well, it's also important to recognize that we evolved with a brain. Our bodies are capable of some pretty cool stuff, and so are our minds. To be truly healthy and happy, I think we need to maintain mental stimulation as well as physical stimulation. In other words: I think that our bodies have adapted to be versatile and to need the help of our brains to survive in any state of wellness.

I also think that survival recently has been more about concepts like money than it has been about physical things like exercise and food. Therefore, we spend our "work time" making money, as opposed to growing food, or tracking an antelope.

(edit) As far as becoming more healthy, I think we just need to start seeing our bodies as necessary to our ability to thrive again. Once that concept is applied, I would hope people would get out and enjoy motion a little more.

[kiddbjj]

I agree with the sentiment that working for money has become "the new" version of hunting and farming. Although it can have negatives, in reality money opens a HUGE array of options for a person compared with a more simple model of growing, hunting & gathering for yourself or your family/tribe. It is also much more versatile than things like bartering.

But I guess then it raises a question of when is enough money enough?

[Little Apple]

I think I read a study someplace that said something like, after one's basic needs for food, shelter, etc are met, more money does not affect one's happiness.

[Tom Yum]

Originally Posted by Little Apple

I think I read a study someplace that said something like, after one's basic needs for food, shelter, etc are met, more money does not affect one's happiness.

This could be true in the long-term. Its nice to have some money to meet your obbligations, save, invest - but the love of money itself could lead you the wrong way I suppose.

Lil' Apple, you've got a good, down to earth approach.

[Shoot]

I think about this a lot. We were designed to hunt and survive through innovations to get us through the different seasons and various conditions. The modern life leads to so many problems. We live in crowded cities, yet in isolation.

How do I cope? Through exercise. That's my "hunt." Unfortunately, it takes its toll. Martial arts, weight lifting, outdoor adventures etc...---all just metaphors for the Mammoth I should be hunting.

[Heroic Wolf]

"The human body was not designed for a sedentary lifestyle. It was designed to walk 40 miles a day and hunt saber-toothed tigers"- Arnold Schwarzenegger