Diet and Fitness: Survival Skills

I was fortunate/wise enough to take some nutrition- and fitness-related classes while I was in college. Much of what I learned really opened my eyes to the realities of health. For example, did you know that the vast majority of people will suffer some sort of lower back problem in their adult life? Neither did I, at least not until my weight training instructor told me about it. After hearing that, I’ve always made sure to include a lower back exercise in my weight training regimen.

To be honest, the really useful tidbits like this wouldn’t fill more than a one-hour lecture, and most of it would sound like common sense. Unsurprisingly, that’s because it is. Most of us know that too much sugar and salt in your diet will lead to diabetes and heart disease. We know that too many calories and saturated/trans fat will make us obese. Unfortunately, knowing is only the first step in doing, and most people don’t go any further than that.

I’d like to propose a different way of thinking about proper nutrition and fitness, one that many people would benefit from adopting. These two things aren’t just the oft-inconvenient requirements of good health that we consider them to be. Rather, they are survival skills, as indispensable to know and practice as hunting and gathering were to our ancestors.

Why do I take this stance? Isn’t calling diet and exercise “survival skills” a bit extreme?

Not… even… a little.

Consider, for a moment, the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States:

• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Stroke (Cerebrovascular Diseases)
• Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases
• Accidents (Unintentional Injuries)
• Diabetes
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Influenza/Pneumonia
• Nephritis, Nephrotic Syndrome, and Nephrosis
• Septicemia

Notice the bold items on the list. Nutrition and fitness have very strong effects on these conditions. In the case of heart disease and diabetes, your long-term health is the most important factor in determining whether you contract them. In the case of infections, your general health and immune function determine your outcome. Sure, even if you’re the healthiest person on earth, it’s still possible to contract these conditions, but your chances are much lower, and you’re much more likely to survive them even if you do.

The point here is that poor diet and fitness can, and likely will, kill you. If you eat right and exercise, you are likely to live a longer, healthier life. Do it and you live; don’t do it and you die. I’d say that pretty much fits the definition of a survival skill, wouldn’t you?

So, next time you’re reevaluating your lifestyle choices, don’t throw diet and fitness by the wayside as annoyances. Embrace them as vital tools for your survival in a toxic food environment.

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