Our ancestors about 50,000 years ago belonged to the hunter – gatherer society. The so-called Paleolithic era. Many of them died but some survived. Those that survived did so because they had genes that had evolved to be able to store food when there was food, the stored food is then used when there was no food. That was a great advantage then. These genes today are a disadvantage. Understanding how these genes work is the key to losing weight and staying healthy.
This is the thrifty gene theory. The thrifty genes helped with the efficient intake and utilization of food as fuel in our body to ensure survival. It is because food was never guaranteed during a hunt that evolution selected for these thrifty genes to maximize survival during the period of famine.
It is said that our hunter-gatherer ancestor males would have hunted for one to four nonconsecutive days per week and the women gathered food two to three days per week. There is no doubt that during the hunter-gatherer period ( or during a famine), the people with thrifty genes would have a survival advantage.
Today the thrifty genes are no longer required but they are there and that is a problem!
During the Paleolithic era, there was a negative caloric balance but now we have a positive caloric balance because of increased sedentary lifestyle and food abundance (compared to the amount of food available then).
Our system is already programmed through our biochemical cycles from the time of our hunter- gatherer ancestors to operate using the feast- famine cycle or rather in today’s terms the physical activity- rest cycle. The alleles that evolved as an advantage during the hunter- gatherer times are now being exposed to a sedentary lifestyle – this is a mismatch.
The physiologic or normal way of regulating these genes is to engage constantly in physical activity alternating with rest cycles. Daily exercise and an active lifestyle are very important.
The Subsistence Efficiency Ratio (SER), which is a ratio of calories you eat compared to the amount of energy you spend in activity has changed drastically over the years.
This ratio in our ancestors was 3:1. Today it is 7:1 on the average. We, therefore, need to spend 400 calories every day, about 45-60 minutes of moderate exercise daily to catch up.
Diets alone won’t do it.
It is about regulating your thrifty genes not just reducing caloric intake. Excess fat affects our mitochondrial biogenesis; this is at cellular level. From laboratory experiments, exercise has been shown to correct mitochondrial biogenesis. This is at cellular level. Losing weight by dieting alone will not correct this anomaly at cellular level.
Also at cellular level, excess fat interferes with insulin sensitivity hence the risk for diabetes Mellitus type 2 and puts you at risk for fat building around your liver. The risk of at least 35 chronic health conditions also increases.
No short cuts, diets won’t do it. Eat, Love, Exercise!
