When the Word of Wisdom was revealed to Joseph Smith 158 years ago, there wasn't any scientific research to back up the "principle with promise" found in the 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants.
But as time has passed, the principles revealed to the prophet on Feb. 23, 1833, have been confirmed by scientists over and over again - and even more so today."Research," said Larry Tucker, director of health promotion in the Physical Education Department at BYU, "has made a major change in its recommendations over the last decade or two and it has come right back, almost verbatim, to Section 89."
Those recommendations include eating vegetables, complex carbohydrates such as grains and eating meat sparingly.
"This strengthens my testimony because research has not always promoted that," Tucker commented. "At one time, we were encouraged [by health expertsT to eat meat. Now we are told to eat meat sparingly, and more complex carbohydrates."
Tucker, a widely published researcher, has completed more than 50 studies during the past nine years looking at many areas of fitness. His studies range from cigarette smoking and obesity to the relationship between muscular strength and mental health.
Through his work, he has learned repeatedly the importance of the Word of Wisdom and exercise.
"Exercise needs to be a way of life," he said. "We should start exercising and plan on doing it like we read our scriptures daily. Frequently we feel we don't have time, but it is just a function of priorities and a matter of getting priorities lined up.
"As a people we should evaluate ourselves and be the best we can be. Prayer and scripture study should be a top priority. But we believe in all truth, and we can now accept the fact that exercise is beneficial to us physically, emotionally and perhaps even spiritually. We ought to incorporate that truth in our lives. Results will come."
Results of being physically fit, according to Tucker's studies, include improving self-esteem, overcoming effects of sedentary TV viewing and reducing cholesterol levels. Several of his studies also look at the effects of tobacco and alcohol.
"If we did not have Section 89, we would have lost probably thousands and thousands of Church members prematurely, primarily because of alcohol and tobacco. One in four deaths in our country is a direct result of smoking, the number one preventable cause of disease and death in today's society."
In one study he found that "kids who are physically fit have far fewer intentions to smoke than someone who is unfit." He added, "When they get fit, they tend to feel better about their body and do less to harm it."
Tremendous misery has also resulted in society as a result of alcohol, he continued. "We have bypassed virtually all of that because of the revelation and listening to the Lord. We still, however, have quite a ways to go regarding our diets. I think Section 89 is outstanding in its guidelines for proper eating."
One particular area of his studies looks at using exercise as a tool to improve mental health and self-esteem.
Tucker has found that exercise is valuable because it tends to help people feel better about themselves. It changes the way they look, helps utilize some of the byproducts of the stress response, helps a person relax more and be at ease and peace. Exercise provides families, spouses and friends a chance to be together. It's a way to improve communication and strengthen relationships, he added.
Studies looking at television viewing as a lifestyle factor have been Tucker's most rewarding research, he said.
There has been a lot of research done on the influence of television, but not from the area of health promotion and health education, Tucker remarked. He found that television is a powerful and pervasive teacher.
"Along with that, it is a very passive pasttime and it is associated with snacking and a lack of physical activity. The more TV people watch, the fatter they tend to be. Also, the more they watch, the less aerobically fit they tend to be [having a weaker heart].
Next to sleep and work or school, many people spend more time watching television than anything else, he commented. "We need to set goals in our families to reduce time watching TV. We should get out and go bike riding, go for walks or play some basketball."
Tucker has also made studies on cholesterol, one of the three major risk factors of heart disease.
"Heart disease kills more people in our country than any other disease by far. I've been investigating what behaviors and what lifestyle factors tend to contribute to healthy and unhealthy levels of cholesterol."
He found that the more stress a person has, the higher cholesterol levels tend to be. His studies found that walking reduces cholesterol levels. "I think we need to be an exercising and physically active population. A lot of our health problems are from sedentary living and overeating. The body was built to be exercised and responds well to it. We can participate more in life if we exercise regularly."
Research, he continued, shows that some resistive weight training is also very helpful. "Within our society we do very little with our muscles. Over time they atrophy. When we have to climb up stairs, pick up groceries or work in the yard, we may find it difficult and are more prone to injury. With a little resistive training, we can maintain strength and preserve our muscles. This can help us a great deal in functioning through life. Resistive training is also beneficial to bone density and may prevent osteoporosis."
Muscle strength ties in closely with weight control as well, he noted. "The major fat burners are muscles and the more muscle we have, the better fat burner and the higher the metabolism.
"I think the Lord wants us to have the most vivacious, fit and energetic body we can have," Tucker concluded. "This will allow us to do other work in the kingdom without fatiguing as fast. I think this is a principle we need to look at real closely in our lives."
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(ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
The average adult should be participating in some type of aerobic or cardiovascular activity at least three times a week to remain healthy. For weight control, a person should exercise five to six times a week.
Weight training is also an important part of fitness. The average adult should do some resistive training two or three times a week for about 20 minutes. - Larry Tucker, BYU Physical Education Department health promotions director.