What is the Scenario now?
The genetic component of `thrifty gene’ exists. We must know that genetic material takes millions of years to change. The same genetic material which was meant to gather food and store it in our bodies still exists. But there are drastic changes in the way we live.
There is no wandering due to housing and colonization
Food is available all the time; one can eat any time in a day and night. There is no need to gather food and store it. Now, especially with the Pizza culture, we can order any type of meal over the telephone or the net and there it is in half an hour!
This change in the nature of our living has caused a tremendous imbalance in our systems.
The change in the environment is even more drastic because:-
Urbanization has caused lesser movement of man.
Mechanization is a natural consequence of urbanization.
Diseases are not markers of elimination any more. Every disease has treatment designed for it, thanks to medical research. We have successfully managed too build a society of unit sick person who are alive but are a burden to themselves, the family and the society. We are becoming a sick society day by day. One need not be fit to survive any more!
There is population at all levels. Even the environment of the home is not free from population. There are vehicle fumes to dust to industrial population to water and food adulteration! There is no place or thing without pollution anymore! It is surprising that we are still surviving this onslaught of pollution at all levels of our lives.
Stress has cropped into our daily living. At every step in a day from the time we rise till we go to bed, we face stress of different nature at every walk of life. Even an infant is supposed to be facing stress these days! Is this stress something new? Even the pre-historic man would have had his share of stress. But what we face today is totally disproportionate to the level of tolerance.
When we look at the scenario `then’ and `now’, it is quite obvious that there is something grossly wrong in the way we live our lives.
So what can we do now?
Genetic material–cannot be modified
Environment –can be modified– by reverting to healthy lifestyle