Uploaded April 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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For the vast majority of human history, our species lived hunter-gatherer lifestyles. We can therefore learn much about how humans probably once lived by studying preindustrial societies.

Research on preindustrial societies has consistently shown that these people have exemplary metabolic health. And when we consider that modern humans are succumbing to chronic diseases at an alarming rate, we clearly have much to learn from preindustrial people.

In this episode of humanOS Radio, Greg Potter speaks with Professor Herman Pontzer about what Herman has learned from his research on hunter-gatherers. Herman's findings led him to develop the counterintuitive hypothesis that how physically active we are each day may scarcely affect how many calories we burn…

… no, I’m not kidding.

As he explains in the podcast, however, this hypothesis in no way discounts the importance of being physically active – far from it!

Tune in for more on Herman’s fascinating research on physical activity, diet, and more.