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Should we eat like Caveman
? 
By N. Saini M.D.
Several magazine articles and books suggest that if only
we would eat more like the cave dwellers of the Paleolithic
era, we would not be facing the obesity and health problems
that have become so common in America.
For cavemen, every extra bit of food consumed meant more
work hunting or foraging. They did not have fellow cavemen
offering to supersize their meals, and eating was probably
not considered a recreational activity.
The difference between our activity level today and that
of cave dwellers is most likely to a primary reason for
our varying incidences of obesity. Cave dwellers didn’t
have the opportunity to overeat often. Cavemen were not
faced with the temptations of kitchens stocked with umpteen
varieties of cookies, chips and ice cream. We make the
decision to bring these foods home.
Compared to the typical American diet, the traditional
Mediterranean or Asian diet included a greater abundance
of vegetables and fruits throughout the day and lower
consumption of saturated fat from fatty meats and rich
dairy products.
Obesity was not a problem in the hunter-gatherer society
because the diet consisted of plenty of meat from hunted
animals along with fruits, vegetables and nuts. The lack
of sugar, bread and other grain products is proclaimed
the key to good health. The difference between our activity
level today and that of cave dwellers is most likely to
a primary reason for our varying incidences of obesity.
Since we don’t live like cave dwellers, there’s no reason
to eat like them.
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