Why is health so hard?

When I picked up Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath, I expected another retelling of the famous story: the small shepherd boy, the mighty warrior, the unexpected victory. What stayed with me though wasn’t the battle itself, but the reminder that what we see as weakness can sometimes be strength.

It also made me think of something my patients often ask:  Why does losing weight feel like fighting the wind? Why does the body seem to betray us as we grow older? Basically, “Why is staying healthy feel so hard?”

Because it is!

In many ways, we’re all David. And the giant we’re fighting? Nature itself.

Nature’s Contract With Us

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: nature never signed us up for a long, healthy life. Evolution had a simpler plan. Get you onto the planet. Push you to reproduce. Help you keep your children alive long enough to survive on their own. And then… you’ve done your job. Just, well, F*** off!

Every repair, every calorie spent keeping you strong is energy evolution would rather invest in the next generation. That’s why bodies start to slow after forty. Muscles weaken, hormones ebb, recovery takes longer. These aren’t malfunctions but the fine print of the contract.

Why “Natural” Isn’t Always Enough

This is where the grandmother argument comes in. I often hear people say, “Just eat what your grandmother ate. Live naturally. Follow tradition.”

There’s wisdom there, like less processed food, fewer chemical additives, meals built around real ingredients. But let’s not forget: the average human lifespan a century ago was barely 40. Grandmother’s “natural” diet wasn’t designed to keep her glowing at 80. It was designed to keep her alive through childbirth and to help her raise children in a world where infections, famine, and accidents took lives early. And because she didn't swipe to get food, but had to actually cook or collect it, she was probably stronger that most people half her age today

So yes, eat your grandmother’s food. Live the socially active life she led. But also remember that your grandmother wasn’t negotiating with Goliath for an extra four decades of vibrant living. And the environment has changed significantly.

The Quiet Sabotage of Biology

If you’ve ever wondered why weight piles on after midlife, or why energy seems to vanish in your fifties, it’s because your biology is quietly shifting gears. Muscles shrink. Metabolism slows. Inflammation simmers in the background. DNA repair gets sloppy. Your cells aren’t breaking down because you’ve done something wrong but they’re breaking down because nature doesn’t need them to last.

It can feel like betrayal. But really, it’s design.

The Slingshot in Our Hands

And this is where the David and Goliath story comes full circle. David didn’t win because he was stronger. He won because he used a tool that Goliath didn’t expect. In the book, Malcom goes on to talk about many examples, but drives home one point - being the underdog and working a strategy is not easy. It is an outlier. Doing what everyone does and preparing the way every one does is easy - despite what the effort looks like. Going against the tide and doing something difficult needs courage, patience and many more life characteristics.

That’s what modern longevity science offers us: slingshots. Small, strategic interventions that let us push back against nature’s indifference. Strength training to rebuild lost muscle. Protein and omega-3s to fuel repair. Vitamin D and B12 to correct gaps our ancestors never faced. Even emerging tools from NAD+ boosters to precision diagnostics are all part of this new arsenal. You can go even further with things like EBOO and HBOT.

Are you getting it “naturally”? Not always. But natural was never meant to take you this far.

While I did take a swipe at Bryan Johnson in one my blogs, what he is doing is far from easy. He may or may not succeed in his quest to not die, but he is fighting an epic battle.

The Bigger Reframe

So the question isn’t “Why is health so hard?” The question is: “Why did we ever expect it to be easy?” We were never designed for longevity. Survival, yes. Thriving into our seventies, eighties, and beyond? Nope! Not in the original design.

And like David, thinking out of the box doesn’t require brute force. It requires cleverness. It requires perspective. Most of all, it requires the willingness to admit that if you want more life than nature planned, you’ll need to outsmart the plan. And knowing that people (just like King Saul in the story), will tell you how your plan won't work and give you (sometime well meaning) advice. Because that is the 'norm'.

Longevity, then, isn’t about “going natural.” It’s about being better than natural. It’s about walking onto the battlefield with your slingshot ready, eyes on the giant, and the quiet confidence that you don’t need to play by his rules. Because if you play by his rules, he will beat you before you even realize what is going on!