Is the problem of obesity truly a recent phenomenon—the medical symptom of a sick western society overwhelmed by a cornucopia of calorie-laden food and drink? Or is it an unhealthy manifestation of what should be recognised as a natural inclination to adiposity, an evolutionary necessity without which many creatures, not merely human beings, could not survive the vicissitudes of an irregular food supply. There is a common presumption, particularly among those currently engaged in determining our approach to the issues of nutrition and obesity, that our ancestors must have been supreme specimens with healthy lifestyles. Even with their primitive understanding of nutrition, our neolithic forebears somehow made the “right choices”, thriving on a wholesome diet of nuts, seeds, and fruits with the occasional piece of meat. And what is more, their rare intake of animal protein could only have been obtained through vigorous exercise, which they would, of course, indulge in religiously every day.
Interestingly, the historical evidence suggests a quite different story.
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