Opinion: Whose sustainability is it, anyway?
Neglecting the principle of moderation will jeopardise the sustainability of life systems on Earth
By B Maria Kumar
I’ve always been a foodie. Over the years, much like Lamarck’s theory of use and disuse, my taste buds seemed to sharpen and multiply, while my expanding belly happily adapted, gradually making its presence felt. In fact, my wife, Vijayalakshmi, had been hinting for a long time that I should cut down on overeating, but I always turned a deaf ear to her advice. She’d often show me newspaper articles on obesity stressing that her warnings had scientific backing.
But around a year ago, when I crossed the double six mark in age and as my body continued to swell, I noticed significant discomfort in my daily movements. Whether it was morning exercises, short walks to the market or trips to the mall, I realised that physical activity by itself was not the sole answer to overindulgence in food. Later, I confessed to Vijayalakshmi that something was wrong with my body and she seized the long-awaited opportunity to lecture me about moderation. She also reminded me how every doctor during my check-ups had advised me to watch my weight. That was the pivotal moment when the Buddha’s ancient teaching of the Middle Path resurfaced in my mind, emphasising its relevance across all spheres of life, including one’s approach to diet.
But now, after a year of consistently moderating my diet, I’ve slowly and steadily lost a few kilograms of weight. I became more active and energised, leaving behind the sluggish version of myself. This renewed vitality has inspired me to stay informed on modern scientific discoveries regarding moderation in various aspects of sustainable living. In this journey, I have identified at least three core elements, influencing human well-being – food, work (physical and mental activities) and social relationships, that contribute among other factors to the sustainability of the individual, humanity and the planet.
Moderate Consumption
Let’s first address the notion of moderate food consumption that scientists term ‘calorie restriction’. It means eating less, but ensuring that all required nutrients are ingested in the right proportions. Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory and Calico Life Sciences in the United States developed a mouse model demonstrating that reducing calorie intake is a key factor in extending lifespan with good health. They also found that calorie restriction, without considerable weight loss, leads to maximum lifespan extension.
The growing disconnect between humanity and the environment has been arising from overreaching human activities under the guise of progress
Many experiments have analysed these findings by studying the lengths of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. They detected that eating beyond limits causes an overproduction of free radicals and toxins, which damage telomeres, shortening their lengths. Since telomeres protect genetic material, their deterioration negatively impacts cell longevity, ultimately diminishing the body’s ability to repair itself through cell division.
Moderation in Work
Similarly, moderation in work, synonymous with labour, is indispensable for the sustainability of the individual and society. Overload of work has long been known to harm well-being, leading to stress and burnout. Recent studies indicate that an overwhelming workload does not necessarily increase productivity. A research team led by Dr Julia Backmann and Dr Felix Hoch at the University of Münster in Germany presented their findings in October 2024, revealing that well-being improves when working hours are reduced. Their results suggest that leisure or free time spent on personal engagements, whether with family, friends or for oneself, boosts life satisfaction. Moreover, they inferred that decreasing the number of working days per week did not lower productivity; in fact, it enhanced it.
Moderation in Social Interactions
The third crucial determinant of human well-being is social relationships. As social beings by nature, humans thrive on interconnectedness, which forms an integral part of everyday life. However, not all relationships are beneficial. For centuries, our wise ancestors have advocated for avoiding toxic associations that cause pain and hinder improvement, while highlighting the importance of cultivating mutually supportive social contacts.
Over a decade ago, Julienne Holt-Lunstad, a neuroscientist at Brigham Young University, conducted extensive research, concluding that close relationships are on top of the strongest predictors of longevity. Latest studies have dug deeper, providing a more detailed perspective that shows moderation in social interactions becomes increasingly important as individuals age.
According to an interesting study, reported by ‘Exeter Today’ on November 2, 2024, focusing on this aspect, researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Edinburgh found that ageing monkeys shrink their social circles to protect themselves from disease. This phenomenon mirrors human behaviour, especially during Covid-19 pandemic, when many, particularly the elderly, limited physical interactions with friends and relatives to keep away from viral exposure. This self-preserving tendency is also observed in nature, such as among red deer and house sparrows. When we take a comprehensive look at these patterns, it manifests as evident that moderation, intricately intertwined with the balance of life and nature, essential for sustainability, plays a pivotal role.
But, the growing disconnect between humanity and the environment has been arising from overreaching human activities under the guise of progress, whether through unchecked economic growth, cutting-edge technological advances, or unregulated genetic experimentation, to name a few. These endeavours often overlook potential unintended consequences that could be catastrophic, as seen in the escalating effects of global warming and the looming threats of nuclear conflict. These areas, among other priorities, demand immediate attention where moderation is most urgently needed, as neglecting this principle is bound to jeopardise the sustainability of life systems on Earth. If this agenda continues to be ignored, we are left to ask ourselves one unsettling question: Whose sustainability is it, anyway?
(The author, IPS (Retd), is a winner of National Rajbhasha Gaurav Award for 2022-23)
