Introduction

Nutrition and Physical Activity

NFSC 223
Appearance of the modern man (Homo Sapien) Picking and hunting

The Evolutionary Journey

50 000 years Appearance of the modern man (Homo Sapien)

Gathering and hunting

10 000 years later 1° agricultural revolution

18th century 2° agricultural revolution

(Potato introduction, vegetables and corn)

19th century industrial and sanitary revolution

20th century technological revolution
hunter?

The 1m-tall (3ft) species - dubbed the

"Hobbit" - lived on Flores Island until
at least 12,000 years ago

3
From early hominid diet…to early agriculture

4
 gatherers? what an evolution?

A hunter-gatherer lives in a society where food is obtained by

foraging (gathering wild plants and chasing wild animals)

In agricultural societies, people rely mostly on domesticated

species.

5
gatherers? what an evolution?

6
Dietary changes by civilization

“Primitive populations” Modern society

Caloric excess vs expenditure

Simple sugars

Complex sugars

Fat

Sodium

Potassium

Alcohol
 Percentage of energy obtained from various food
components

Hunters & Agriculture Modern

Gatherers

15-20 10-15 40 +

5
Fat

50-70 20 Simple sugars

60-75

25-30 Complex sugars

15-20 10-15 12 Proteins

Salt (g/day) 1 5-15 10-20
Fibers (g/day) 40 60-120 20
Foraging to farming to food technology.

Source: Henry (1997).

 Evolution of man
~10’000 years later: Agriculture
~50’000 years: Hunter-gatherer
18th century: 2nd agricultural
revolution (potato, corn)
20th century:
modern societies

Millions of years 50 years

 Dysfunctional foods
Evolution of man TV, Sedentarity

Borrowed from R Unger

Evolution of man

Metabolic Syndrome

Millions of years ~50 years

 Burden of Common Chronic Diseases

• Currently there are about 59 million deaths per year in the world

• Chronic diseases account for about 60% of these deaths

• Cardiovascular disease accounts for about half of the latter

• Causes of death from chronic diseases include sedentary time, a low

physical activity level, poor diet, and obesity
Energy balance

CHO
Energy lipids Energy Energy
intake proteins stored expenditure
alcohol

Fuel oxidation

Fuel
substrates
 Principles of energy balance

Food
Energy intake

Energy lost in faeces Energy intake

Energy
absorbed
Body Fat (77%)
Energy in circulation Energy
Energy lost in urine Protein (22 %)
glucose, fatty acids, amino acids stores
…. Glycogen
(<1%)
Energy metabolized

Basal metabolic rate Physical activity Thermogenesis

Energy Expenditure
(Heat production)
(metabolic rate)
 The body's energy stores

Body Energy Energy Density

compartment Kcal/g

Fat 9 Efficient Reserve

Protein 4 diluted with H2O in FFM

Inefficient Reserve

CHO (glycogen) 4 stored with 3g H2O / g of glycogen

In liver and muscle Inefficient Reserve
 RECAP

Macronutrient (fuel) substrates in humans

Proteins CHO Lipids Alcohol

as % 10-35% 45-65% 20-35% 0-5%

energy intake >>

Energy 4 4 9 7
density
(kcal / g)

Gross energy
 The human body is designed for activity

• It can adapt to a wide range of metabolic demands imposed by work or

exercise

• A low level of physical activity is associated with risk of common diseases

and premature death

• Evolutionary history teaches us that early humans could not have survived
without the ability to perform very demanding physical work
 Metabolic Syndrome (Criteria)

According to ATP-III
if > 3 criteria:
- Abdominal adiposity if waist circumference
men > 102 cm
women > 88 cm
• Blood pressure > 130 / > 85 mmHg
• Glycemia (fasted) > 6.1 mmol/l
• Triglycerides > 1.7 mmol/l

• HDL-chol
men < 1.04 mmol/l
women < 1.3 mmol/l

JAMA 2001; 285: 2486-9

Rdar/Oct04
 Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity
Intra-abdominal fat
Abdominal
obesity
Diabetes Insulin resistance
type II Hyperinsulinaemia Arterial
hypertension

Cardiovascular
diseases
 Evaluation of body fat a person?

BMI (BMI)

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) Weight

DXA
Height 2 Bod-pod
air displacement plethysmography

Body Mass Index

(Body mass index)

Bioimpedance analysis
Bioimpedance Skin fold