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Patterns of physical activity, fitness and health during prehistory can be deduced from archaeology, oral and written tradition, and the current status of isolated communities where a hunter-gatherer or pastoralist lifestyle has been conserved. Homo sapiens is genetically adapted to the prolonged endurance activity of the hunter-gatherers. The energy expended in such pursuits, sometimes >15耴MJ/day, was sometimes boosted by vigorous games that propitiated the Gods and maintained fitness when conditions were unfavourable for hunting. Data from 1969 to 1970 CE show that in Igloolik, Nunavut, levels of aerobic fitness and strength were still high, and body fat content was low. However, physical activity in such communities has diminished rapidly with acculturation to a modern sedentary lifestyle, with an associated decreased in fitness levels. Indigenous groups no longer face major epidemics of smallpox. Most settlements now have access to modern health care, although tuberculosis remains a problem, and HIV infection is more prevalent than in urban society. Indigenous populations have also shifted from healthy "country food" to a reliance on imported foodstuffs. Thus, the耴Inuit now face a rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus. Loss of their traditional culture and residual effects of residential schooling have also induced a widespread alienation, with such manifestations as suicide, alcoholism and substance abuse. Preventive tactics to reverse these trends include territory-wide "native" and "white" sports competitions and the encouragement of greater physical activity, recreation and a sense of cultural identity within the local community.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-11671-6_1

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