The evolutionary mismatch hypothesis posits that the human body evolved for a nutritional and physical environment radically different from the modern industrialized world. Consequently, traits that were once adaptive—such as "thrifty" genes promoting efficient fat storage during famine—are now maladaptive in environments with caloric abundance and sedentary lifestyles, driving the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes.

Lessons from Traditional Societies Researchers study contemporary subsistence-level populations to understand this discordance:

• The Tsimane (Bolivia): This forager-horticulturalist group exhibits the lowest reported levels of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in the world. Despite high levels of inflammation caused by infections, they rarely develop ...