To understand why the human body appeared different fifty years ago, we must examine the systemic differences in daily life. One of the most significant factors was that physical activity was built into the very fabric of existence. Movement was a necessity rather than a choice or a scheduled appointment at a gym. In the mid-1970s, many households operated with a single vehicle, or in urban areas, none at all. This meant that walking was the primary mode of transportation for short to mid-range errands. Children walked to school, rode bicycles to friends’ houses, and spent hours in unstructured outdoor play. Adults walked to bus stops, climbed stairs as a matter of course, and stood for significant portions of their workdays. Even office jobs required a high degree of incidental movement—walking between departments to deliver memos or standing at filing cabinets. This “incidental activity” meant that by the end of a typical day, the average person had burned hundreds of calories through movement they didn’t even categorize as “exercise.”
Furthermore, the nutritional landscape was vastly different. Grocery stores were smaller and focused on foundational ingredients rather than convenience. Meals were primarily constructed from fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, eggs, meat, and grains. The highly processed, hyper-palatable “food-like substances” that dominate modern aisles—such as prepackaged microwave meals, protein bars, and gallon-sized soft drinks—were either non-existent or reserved for rare occasions. Sugar and salt were used as seasonings rather than as industrial-scale preservatives. Continue reading…
