An article in Outside magazine asks Could Thru-Hiking Be Bad for Your Health? The answer may be yes, but not because of the hiking itself.

In a study of one individual (and yes, we should all know the potential pitfalls of a sample size of one) a healthy Pacific Crest Trail hiker had some extensive diagnostics done before and after a thru-hike. Several measured values that indicate increased risk of heart disease were detected. They surmise the culprit was not the hiking itself, but rather the typical thru-hiker diet which focuses on calorie dense foods rich in sugar, fat and sale with lower levels of fiber. Fresh food is not so easy to pack.