"You are what you eat" is one of the most common cliches in dieting and health, entering wide use with the publication of Victor Lindlahr's book in 1942. The phrase narrowly assumes that our health is only determined by dieting, something that advocates of popular diets also want us to believe. The reality, however, is that our health and longevity are determined by much more than just diet. Exercising, avoiding risky behaviors, and staying productive can offset a less-than-perfect diet.
"What it suggests is that our health is rigidly determined by the specific foods and nutrients we put in our bodies. It says that if two people put the same foods in their bodies, they will have the same level of health, "sports nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald wrote in his 2014 book Diet Cults, in which he criticized many popular diet trends for being unscientific and ultimately ineffective.
Science has revealed a more detailed truth, Fitzgerald says. "We are what our bodies do with what we eat, "he clarified. The two great pillars of a healthy body are diet and exercise, and both affect physical functioning. "You are what you eat" ignores the fact that what we do with our bodies may be just as important as what we put in them. Fitzgerald cautions that one cannot simply eat whatever one wants. Candy for every meal will not provide the nutrients that the body needs. But one also doesn't have to eat a perfect diet all the time to maximize health and longevity.
As the century-long Longevity Project, a study which followed long-lived individuals, has shown, there are numerous aspects of a person's life equally or more important than diet that determine health and lifespan. Simply being ambitious, productive, and engaged while avoiding destructive behaviors like smoking, drinking to excess, abusing drugs, or driving too fast prolongs life and keeps us in good shape.
So yes, we are much, much more than what we eat.
