--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we need to do now is recognize that…" description: "\"What we need to do now is recognize that it is the sum total of human ingenuity that is responsible for the epidemics of chronic disease. Throughout mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/david-katz-30306_exercise_what-we-need-to-do-now-is-recognize-that_2198120.jpg" --- # What we need to do now is recognize that it is the sum… ![“What we need to do now is recognize that it is the sum total of human ingenuity that is responsible for the epidemics of chronic disease. Throughout most of human history, calories were scarce and hard to get, and physical activity unavoidable. Calories are now abundant, and physical activity is…” quote by David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/david-katz-30306_exercise_what-we-need-to-do-now-is-recognize-that_2198120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/david-katz-30306_exercise_what-we-need-to-do-now-is-recognize-that_2198120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/david-katz-30306_exercise_what-we-need-to-do-now-is-recognize-that_2198120.jpg) > “What we need to do now is recognize that it is the sum total of human ingenuity that is responsible for the epidemics of chronic disease. Throughout most of human history, calories were scarce and hard to get, and physical activity unavoidable. Calories are now abundant, and physical activity is hard to get. We took an unstable, uncertain food supply and fixed it. What now passes as exercise and requires specialized footwear used to be called "survival." You had to do it. Now you never have to do it. We solved it too well. Now we don't need our muscles for anything.” [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that modern lifestyle changes—abundant calories and reduced physical activity—have turned natural survival tasks into optional, specialized activities, leading to chronic disease. **In simple terms:** Modern life removes natural activity, causing health problems. Key Takeaway Reintroduce natural movement into daily life. Themes health nutrition activity modernity Mood concerned reflective Type analytical informative When to use this quote - Workplace design - urban planning - personal fitness routines - food policy Key Concepts Evolutionary biology public health behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies redesign environments to promote movement? - What role does personal choice play in health? A Different Perspective It overlooks genetic factors and individual responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Food supply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-supply/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Physical activity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-activity/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) ## Related quotes > [I do not need muscles or big body in order to be strong but I just need a mature confident mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe/i-do-not-need-muscles-or-big-body-in-order-to-be-strong-but-i-just/) [Simphiwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe/) > [There is one thing that very reliably try to trumps the food supply and that is food demand. At the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/there-is-one-thing-that-very-reliably-try-to-trumps-the-food-supply/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [Food is "everyday"-it has to be, or we would not survive for long. But food is never just something to eat. It is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-visser/food-is-everyday-it-has-to-be-or-we-would-not-survive-for-long-but-2/) [Margaret Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-visser/) > [People in my neighborhood are so disconnected from the fresh food supply that kids don't know an eggplant from a sweet potato. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-finley/people-in-my-neighborhood-are-so-disconnected-from-the-fresh-food/) [Ron Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-finley/) > [The air that people breathe in many Chinese cities has become dangerously polluted. Their food supply is subject to constant contamination scandals. Now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-air-that-people-breathe-in-many-chinese-cities-has-become/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [I didn't marry. I didn't have children. I followed the food supply for jobs. I kept writing at night. And that kept me moving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-didn-t-marry-i-didn-t-have-children-i-followed-the-food-supply-for/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [The United States has taken pride in maintaining the 'safest food supply in the world.' And we can still have it, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/the-united-states-has-taken-pride-in-maintaining-the-safest-food/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [Environmental science is telling us a lot about our future and what it could look like, whether we're talking about global warming (the current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/environmental-science-is-telling-us-a-lot-about-our-future-and-what/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [The pet food recall, which was after all just about pets, and treated as if it were an inconsequential matter, was an absolute forerunner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/the-pet-food-recall-which-was-after-all-just-about-pets-and-treated/) [Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/) > [The fight to save family farms isn't just about farmers. It's about making sure that there is a safe and healthy food supply for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/the-fight-to-save-family-farms-isn-t-just-about-farmers-it-s-about/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [“Almost two hundred years ago, during the War of 2062, back when the world was inhabited exclusively by humans, a war between North American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-martucci/almost-two-hundred-years-ago-during-the-war-of-2062-back-when-the/) [Jennifer Martucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-martucci/) > [I'm confident that we have measures in place. And the additional measures that we announced yesterday will be even more protective of our food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-veneman/i-m-confident-that-we-have-measures-in-place-and-the-additional/) [Ann Veneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-veneman/) > [We use competitive markets to arrange for delivery of our food supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lay/we-use-competitive-markets-to-arrange-for-delivery-of-our-food-supply/) [Kenneth Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lay/) > [We're facing growing climate change, more floods, more droughts, more crisis on a planetary level, and the systems we put in place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-re-facing-growing-climate-change-more-floods-more-droughts-more/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [We are at the moment looking at space as something to be entered by the tremendous thrust of a rocket because that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/we-are-at-the-moment-looking-at-space-as-something-to-be-entered-by/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) ## More by David Katz > [My view of chronic disease prevention of fighting epidemic obesity and diabetes, of turning the tide, is that it is the job of professionals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/my-view-of-chronic-disease-prevention-of-fighting-epidemic-obesity/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [We have literature indicating that overwhelmingly, health is influenced by a very short list of modifiable behaviors topped by three: tobacco use, physical activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/we-have-literature-indicating-that-overwhelmingly-health-is/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [There is one thing that very reliably try to trumps the food supply and that is food demand. At the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/there-is-one-thing-that-very-reliably-try-to-trumps-the-food-supply/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [We are facing a flood tide of factors into our daily lives and the lives of our children that conspire against weight control, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/we-are-facing-a-flood-tide-of-factors-into-our-daily-lives-and-the/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [We are creatures. We have a link with a native habitat just like every other species. Throughout most of human history, physical activity was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/we-are-creatures-we-have-a-link-with-a-native-habitat-just-like-every/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [We have a society that monumentally conspires against the pursuit of health. We have wave after wave of labor-saving technology that says don't ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/we-have-a-society-that-monumentally-conspires-against-the-pursuit-of/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [When I went to medical school, I was taught about two basic kinds of diabetes: juvenile onset and adult onset. From the time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/when-i-went-to-medical-school-i-was-taught-about-two-basic-kinds-of/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [The metaphor I routinely use is polar bears in the Sahara desert. You take creatures adapted to the cold and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/the-metaphor-i-routinely-use-is-polar-bears-in-the-sahara-desert-you/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [There's an awful lot about our society that is at odds with the basic message of "don't smoke, be active, eat a healthy diet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/there-s-an-awful-lot-about-our-society-that-is-at-odds-with-the-basic/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [I think basic disease care access and basic access to health care is a human right. If we need a constitutional amendment to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/i-think-basic-disease-care-access-and-basic-access-to-health-care-is/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [We don't control everything. There are genetic influences. There are environmental exposures we don't control. I cannot guarantee anyone I counsel that by following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/we-don-t-control-everything-there-are-genetic-influences-there-are/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [Epidemic obesity is an enormous problem. It's a pendulum that's swung too far. We have to swing it back. So it should come as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/epidemic-obesity-is-an-enormous-problem-it-s-a-pendulum-that-s-swung/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [I naturally gravitate toward the big picture which isn't necessarily advantageous when you go on to a career in research because successful researchers usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/i-naturally-gravitate-toward-the-big-picture-which-isn-t-necessarily/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [Balanced, sensible nutrition: eat food, not too much, mostly plants, a healthy diet ala Michael Pollan, modern physical activity on a daily basis, modest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/balanced-sensible-nutrition-eat-food-not-too-much-mostly-plants-a/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [Color, rather than shape, is more closely related to emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/color-rather-than-shape-is-more-closely-related-to-emotion/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) [Explore all 17 David Katz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) ## More Exercise quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If your goal is to look different, you'll see results faster with strength training than with cardio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/if-your-goal-is-to-look-different-you-ll-see-results-faster-with/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [One should try to locate power at the extreme of its exercise, where it is always less legal in character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/one-should-try-to-locate-power-at-the-extreme-of-its-exercise-where/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [What do you think of our gym <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-think-of-our-gym-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [For girls who want to get their waistline down a little bit and don't have any weights in the house, they can actually use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepa/for-girls-who-want-to-get-their-waistline-down-a-little-bit-and-don-t/) [Pepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepa/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) Harry Johnson [Browse all 7,281 Exercise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What we need to do now is recognize that it is the sum total of human ingenuity that is responsible for the epidemics of chronic disease. Throughout most of human history, calories were scarce and hard to get, and physical activity unavoidable. Calories are now abundant, and physical activity is hard to get. We took an unstable, uncertain food supply and fixed it. What now passes as exercise and requires specialized footwear used to be called \"survival.\" You had to do it. Now you never have to do it. We solved it too well. 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