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Human Endurance
The video below is not a training video, rather a unique demonstration of human endurance.
This video offers just another example of the human body’s potential. These men will hunt for hours on end.
When survival is at stake, the capabilities of man become much more apparent. These capabilities are often underestimated in today’s world. Many have no idea how much we are all capable of achieving.
I’m certainly not suggesting that we all go hunt food for the next 8 hours, rather I am using this video to highlight what we can do when circumstances leave us no other option.
Ross
PS – To those who have recently used this article to justify their obesity, I find it strange that this “gene” seems to be missing amongst the culture seen in the video above. Perhaps lifestyle is in fact more important than any genetic deck of cards?
23 Comments so far
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Truly astonishing. Sir David Attenborough’s efforts to capture this aspect of human existence are, as usual with his efforts, graceful and poignant.
Nonetheless, Ross, I must take issue with your point about genetics. Do you know for a fact that this gene is missing among this group of hunter gatherers? There are three representatives shown–not exactly an overwhelming sample size for the statistical statement. Their genetics are not discussed in the clip at all. And, unless you have information beyond that shown in the clip, we simply don’t know what the non-hunting folks in this culture look like/have as a lifestyle.
Even if you are right, however, that the entire population of this culture lack the gene, that does not refute the existence of such a gene in other cultures. We have no information from the clip that this culture interacts (and interbreeds) with other cultures that do have the gene. Some literature–e.g., Jered Diamond’s Guns, Germs & Steel–strongly suggest there is no such interaction. I’m sure you don’t dispute the fact that there are some cultures that have ideosyncratic features of their genetics (e.g., African-originating peoples having a genetic propensity for sickle cell disease that is truly missing in Northern Europeans).
The article you link to, moreover, sheds no light whatsoever on what cultures’ genetics were surveyed in the study. The study may be entirely silent on the issue. What is your source material for the absence of this gene?
I’m sorry if this seems overly picky. I generally agree with your points (above and elsewhere) that being active and eating a natural diet go a long way toward avoiding obesity and its related problems. But I was a little troubled by your setting off the word “gene” in quotation marks as though you want to equivocate on the meaning of that word. Do you disbelieve the results of the study in the article? 30%, or of course, 70%, are statistically significant levels of elevated risk, I’m sure you’d agree. Do you dispute the controls of the study? Perhaps you would control for activity levels; we don’t know from the article whether that was done, and if it wasn’t, it’s a fair criticism of study design.
I know (because I’ve read your books and other blog entries) that you have had to contend with others’ excuses that they were not able to do this-and-such because of their genetics. I think you have persuasively argued that your experience refutes that attitude, which, of course, this entry tries to reiterate. I do think, however, that (a) you haven’t given compelling evidence against a genetic link to obesity, and (b) don’t assist your cause by making broad conclusions about genetics without disclosing your sources. I know from your forum writing that you are an intellectually honest person, and I hope you accept this as constructively as I intended it.
You have gone off on a tangent by reading too much into one statement. Don’t take every stroke the keyboard so literally.
I have already shared my thoughts regarding the original study on the message board. I will reiterate what was said earlier this week (below):
+++++
I don’t have a problem with the original study. My problem is with how the media portrays the study. For example, the following image was included within the main article:
http://www.ecanadanow.com/images/fat-gene.jpg
The casual reader will see this image and automatically assume that this newly discovered gene was 100% responsible for this individual’s obesity. Like it or not, but many readers simply skim the highlights and jump to the photos.
If however you were to read the study more closely, you will see reference to the following information:
“They (those with two copies of the FTO gene) were also about 7 to 10 pounds heavier than the average person without the gene.”
7 to 10 pounds of excess weight did not lead to the problem illustrated above. Most readers of the original news story would not put 2 and 2 together however.
Ultimately, many people in today’s world WANT excuses. It is much easier to place the blame elsewhere (ex. someone sues a fast food chain for supplying them with too much food).
The media is PLAYING to this mindset (ex. their use of the image referenced above).
I don’t have a problem with research (on the contrary, I of all people SUPPORT research, and am involved with it daily), but the discovery of this gene is NOT the answer to our society’s current obesity crisis. There is much more to the story. We all know this, but the media is not so quick to emphasize the other side of the story (ie. lifestyle choices and actions).
No one wants to look in the mirror (ie. take a closer look at daily lifestyle choices).
The obesity rates are skyrocketing, and have been for years. This gene did not suddenly appear out of nowhere, causing the obesity rate to quickly double.
Our world is largely inactive. In addition, we eat too much food, eat the wrong foods, and constantly seek quick fixes to much larger problems.
In the future, please do not take a one line statement so literally.
Ross
That video was amazing. I truly didn`t belive running down an animal like that was possible.
I read books on genetics in my leisure time and scientist are now starting to think that gene expression is more important than “having or not having” a gene. In Matt Ridley’s book, The Agile Gene, he says “[...] the more we lift the lid on the genome, the more vulnerable to experience genes appear to be.” So there may very well be a sequence of nucleotides that prone some one to obesity, but it is through the environment that these sequences get “turned on.” The shift towards a more obese world happened too fast for the link to be entirely genetic. Even the article says that with two copies of the gene there is a 70% chance to be only 6 pounds heavier. Between the gene needing to be expressed through choices people make in their environment and the insignificantance of 6 pounds, there is no excuse to be out of shape.
I appreciate the time you spent on that response. It shows that you take our comments seriously–as seriously as we take your posts. I’m not sure I understand your response entirely, though. On the one hand, I think you’re saying that the flaw with “casual readers” is that they miss the point of the article and latch on to convenient excuses. This is because, in part, they are misled by media tricks (like the photo) that cater to their mindset. By the way: if the photo represents what the “casual reader” will take away as the suspected effect of the gene, I wouldn’t think you’d have a problem with that. That level of obesity is clearly an outlier. That poor man is as far out on one end of the obesity bell curve as you are on the other–maybe farther. I assume your alarm is (rightly) directed instead to the dramatic increase in those weighing 20-100 lbs more than they should. But hell, if the photo is perceived by the casual reader to show the effects of the suspected genetic issue, it seems at least as likely that that casual reader who’s also 80 lbs over his tare weight will say, “Man, I thought I had a weight problem. I’m glad I don’t have that gene!”
On the other hand, you seem to be telling me that the flaw with my close reading of your intentionally provocative statement is that I missed the point of that statement, misled by the words you used.
Ross, I’m not about to take the mass media’s side. I can barely tolerate what they do with simple crime stories, much less their frequent butchering of scientific reporting. As you say, “playing to the mindset” is an evil I see perpetrated in the paper and on the web over and over. My sensitivity to that, by the way, was what triggered my initial comment: if playing to the excuse-based mindset is improper for the media, so is playing to a mindset (that may very well exist among the fit that read this blog closely, if the forum is any indication) that genetics mean much less than lifestyle.
Note, from the article: “However, it is not known if FTO alters the response to a particular lifestyle or by altering eating or exercise alters lifestyle,” Hattersley said.
Either way, there is not a clear demarcation between genetics and lifestyle. Certainly there is room for the excuse makers in this statement. And for all I know, Hattersley himself may be 5’3 and 250 lbs and in deep psychological denial about any number of things.
But in defense of my original comment: You are not among the mass media. You do not treat the readers of this blog like the “casual readers” you mention above. You posed in your post a comment–in italics–about a culture, genetics and the separation of genetics from lifestyle. Those are important issues for anyone (like you or me) who is all but panicked about how this obesity epidemic is damaging our society. Usually, this is not a topic you treat in a throwaway line–as your response shows–and that’s why I didn’t read it as such.
Having a gene is not an expression of that gene. What you do, your environment, how you eat, how active you are determines whether certain genes are expressed. Twin studies where one twin does distance running and one twin does olympic lifting have shown that the endurance-optimized and hyper-muscular optmimized physiques – or any physique for that matter – are not the result of pure inheritance. Why would it be any different for obesity?
Looks like I’m reiterating Mr. Murphy’s point.
I didn’t realize that I would need to spend time defending one satirical line on an Internet blog. This is certainly a week where we can all appreciate that there are much bigger problems in the world. With that said, I will make one last attempt to clarify my thoughts…
As I’ve said before, the media is quick to identify a cause, but never offers a solution. I’d rather spend my time providing solutions to problems.
I’ve worked with men and woman who were obese their entire lives. I’ve had 300+ pound women lose over 150 pounds. These women were obese their entire lives. I won’t generalize the entire population, but these women (my actual clients) were desperate and ready to give up. They were the type of person who would read through an article such as the one referenced above and automatically assume that they were doomed to obesity. Science suddenly has found the “cause” of their obesity.
It is times like this when we can fall back to Merriam-Webster’s definition of science, which is nothing more than a “state of knowing”.
I know without question that lifestyle (ie. exercise and diet, or lack of it) are the true contributors to fat gain and loss.
My opinion will not change, and this will continue to be the message that is preached here on my site.
As for whether someone has been blessed with superior genetics, that is an entirely different subject. With that said, there are countless stories of athletes who defy the odds, by outperforming their preconceived genetic potential.
Not everyone is blessed with a supreme genetic advantage. Our will, character, and desire to succeed (and refusal to lose) can often overcome any so-called genetic barrier. I could provide an almost endless list of pro fighters who took average genetics and became world champions.
Much of our world needs to wake up and accept responsibility for their actions.
I’m not interested in debating the specifics of ONE study. Life is all about overcoming obstacles. If you fall down, you get up and continue forward.
That is my message, so my comments will continue to reflect this message.
Hard work, individual responsibility, and dedication to success…
It’s been fun
Ross
And just to add one last thought…
This topic is similar to the young athlete who gives up on his athletic career when a coach makes a comment such as, “You don’t have what it takes.”
An athlete hears the “all-knowing” coach state that he/she isn’t good enough, and he/she believes it. The athlete gives up.
This happens ALL the time. Genetics are grossly over-emphasized in the sporting world.
For those interested in the genetic debate and young athlete development, I highly recommend “Build A Better Athlete” by Dr. Michael Yessis.
He destroys many of the myths that exist in our youth sporting leagues today.
With good coaching, the average can become above-average.
Just as…
With the right mindset, program, and diet, the obese can lose weight.
Bottom line…
Ross
I’m still looking forward to the day when I see a massive headline reading:
“New scientific study reveals that lack of exercise and bad diets are responsible for obesity!”
Can’t see it selling though…
Ross,
Your initial comment was not off the mark (sarcastic yes, but also truthful). All you’ve said is that people shouldn’t look at this kind of study to justify their obesity.
I can relate to your comments, as I battled obesity for the first 31 years of my life. I tried every diet pill, crash diet, and infomercial exercise machine that I could find.
At age 32, I had my first child. When I saw my son, I decided that it was time to change. My problem had nothing to do with finding the right diet or exercise machine. My problem was inside. I never stuck with a plan. When the going got tough, I would always back out.
I was ready to give up, but when I saw my innocent child, I knew that I could not let him live through the same insecurities and schoolyard teasing that I went though. As a father, I knew that I had to lead by example.
In the past 16 months, I’ve gone from 278 pounds to 190. I still have another 15 to 20 pounds to go, but it’s only a matter of time. Earlier in my life, I would have given up. Information regarding a fat gene would have been viewed as a relief. Finally, I could say that it wasn’t my fault.
I agree with Ross. I likely have the fat gene. Living with obesity for 30+ years is a good indicator.
But hey, I am no longer letting it get the best of me. My eating and activity habits have taken a complete 180. I exercise 6 days a week. I eat fruits and vegetables. I drink water. These are all new habits for me. For most of my life, I’ve lived on junk food, soda pop, and beer.
Those days are over. Gene or no gene, we can all overcome obesity by stepping up and committing to personal growth and improvement.
Adam
Fascinating. Nice spear throw, right to the heart. After 8 hours of running I don’t know if I could even hit the beast with a throw from 10 feet.
Does this hunt resemble a marathon or a sprint..?
Johnny
I don’t know what you guys are talking about, he had shoes and socks on, but that hunter clearly did not have any genes.
(har-har)
For my part,Ross, I was agreeing with you. Sorry if that didn’t come across clearly.
Here are more images of the Kalahari Kung “tribe”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a6gShIToSQ&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gC4IpoRAEw
Wade, no need to apologize. I wasn’t responding to your post above, although it may have looked like that based on timing.
I wasn’t coming down on you however. And also (to everyone), I have no problem with anyone disagreeing. That’s part of life. We all have opinions. I enjoy a good debate.
Ross
Amazing video. I watched it until he was going to spear the animal and then I had to stop it. Yes, I’m a meat eater, but I hate seeing that (feel free to call me a hypocrite). A couple minutes later, I went back and watched the end and I’m glad I did. I was happy to see the respect he showed the animal.
I recently started buying all my meat from a local farmer in Barkhamsted, CT. I feel a lot better about eating meat now that I get it from him. He said that while the animals are on his farm they are treated with love and respect. All of the slaughtering is done in the most human way to cause as little pain and suffering to the animal as possible. I think it’s a shame the way we treat animals that we ultimately use for food. Not to mention, the living conditions, and the crap most animals are fed, make the meat bad for us.
I know that the goal of this video wasn’t to teach us a lesson about respecting animals, but I think it’s a point that comes across in the video that should not be lost.
Sorry, I couldn’t find a way to edit my post (above). I meant to write that the animal is slaughtered in the most HUMANE way, not the most HUMAN way.
Ross,
I loved this article and your comments. I am no genetics expert but I know that it is physically impossible for the body to “create” it’s own energy and put on weight. For this to happen there must be some energy input ie food. People may metabolise this energy differently, hormones and genes have some impact on how this energy is distributed / used, but in the end if you put on weight it’s got to do with eating more than you’re using – simple as that! I’d like to see any one of these people who have responded with the genetics debate, go to a concentration camp for a week or two and see how their “genetics” helps them when they have no food to consume!
Great video Ross!
Now THAT’s what I call working for your food. A worthy 10 minutes to return me to clarity about MY priorities (and the illusion of some of the unimportant ones).
Simply amazing.
I think that one guy was wearing converse high-tops hehe.
Kath
I want to see more of that, I wonder how he brings it back, it was an 8 hour run.
More about humans being the endurance running kings:
http://www.physorg.com/news95954919.html