[russ]

Someone who grows up on junk food will have a difficult time maintaining the right proportions. I know this from myself. In Poland, I ate very healthy, organic meals (fresh, grown vegetables, etc.), where here I learned to eat pizza, french fries and other very processed foods.

I was always very lean in Poland and no problems with weights/looks. After a few years of an American diet, I started to lose that "perfection" of great shape. Perhaps, this has to do with getting older, but likely it is due to an extemely reduced exercise program and a worse diet.

Hmmm.......this would suggest that Poles should be expected to be somewhat healthier than Americans. Actuarial charts for life expectancy fail to bear that out:

http://www.stat.gov.pl/english/serwi...larne/tab4.xls

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/tab...3/03hus027.pdf

Americans have higher life expectancy than Poles even at advanced ages.

Of course, nutrition isn't the only piece of the life expectancy puzzle (this is coming from someone who is very much unconvinced of the superiority of 'organic' foods in comparison to 'non-organic').

At what age are we at the peak of our natural power and strength?

I’m not sure, but I think the most common answer would be between 18 and 22. That’s the answer I would have given during most of my life thus far, but not anymore. Having grandchildren--and observing their development more closely than I did with my own sons--I would say that what takes place physically in the first four or five years of life is qualitatively greater than anything that takes place in the next 65 years or more. Learning to haul yourself up on two wobbly feet; then to stand sure-footed and in balance, and allow yourself the fall that is the first step in walking; and then to run; and then to ride a bicycle--aren’t these really the greatest achievements of our lives, with everything else, even the achievements of the best athletes, mere improvements?

The only point I would disagree with you about is that I believe, if you continue exercising, your physical peak would be somewhere between 26 - 30. I don't have any empirical evidence, but from watching athletes and military people that seems to hold true.

I'll see if I can find a decent reference, but I've read that peak strength is likely to be achieved in one's mid 30's. For an illustrative example, check out the World Strongman Competiton. I think that the winners are usually in their 30's.

I was wondering if there was any scientific evidence that being fit early in life will help your progress later in life, even if there are years in between where you're not in perfect shape. Is it easier to get back what you already had than to sculpt from scratch later in life?

I would guess that the answer is 'yes', but I haven't located any decent scientific evidence to support this assertion.