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Some physicians say the theory of "evolutionary medicine" can help guide the treatment of modern ailments like obesity.

Some physicians say the theory of "evolutionary medicine" can help guide the treatment of modern ailments like obesity.

By now the paleo diet and lifestyle has inched from the fringe a little closer to the mainstream, thanks to some very passionate followers sold on the notion that our Paleolithic hunter-gatherer ancestors avoided modern day ailments like obesity and diabetes because they ate what some consider an "ideal" diet of meat, fruit and vegetables.

Maybe you've met paleo dieters through CrossFit, or seen them organizing MeetUps online, and been amazed that they've managed to swear off sugar, dairy, grains and beans.

But the paleo way is now moving beyond the gym and Web to an entirely new space the doctor's office. There the somewhat amorphous idea of "evolutionary medicine" is taking shape.

One of the founders of the paleo movement, Loren Cordain, a professor at Colorado State University with a doctorate in exercise science, is the author of a must-read book for paleo followers, The Paleo Diet. Recently, he co-founded the Paleo Physicians Network. Its goal: connect consumers with "medical professionals who practice Darwinian/Evolutionary Medicine." The network lists hundreds of them around the country (53 in California alone).

Except there's a small problem, according to one of the people who helped coin the term evolutionary medicine: No one actually practices evolutionary medicine because it's only a theory.

Randolph Nesse, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Michigan, might be called a father of evolutionary medicine. He co-authored an influential paper in 1991 called "The Dawn of Darwinian Medicine," which made a persuasive case for more research into how evolution by natural selection can help explain what makes us sick.

When Shots asked him about his thoughts on the Paleo Physicians Network, he said, "I don't like it much."

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The Paleo Diet Moves From The Gym To The Doctor's Office

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Home » Diet » The Paleo Diet Moves From The Gym To The Doctor's Office