Final answer:
Humans continued to practice agriculture due to its provision of a dependable food supply and supports for larger populations. These advantages outweighed the health costs, leading to settled communities and the evolution of complex societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Despite the health costs, humans continued to practice agriculture for several crucial reasons, the most significant of which include a dependable food supply and the ability for communities to settle and grow. Firstly, agriculture allowed for the production of vastly more caloric energy than hunting and gathering, with early farming providing up to fifty times more calories. This abundance of food enabled humans to have larger families and supported larger population growth.
Secondly, with the development of agricultural technologies such as the plow, one family could cultivate enough crops to feed not only themselves but also others. This surplus of food led to settled life in villages and cities, providing a framework for complex societies. The permanent settlements fostered various advantages such as the opportunity for specialization in crafts, trade, and the development of social structures.
Despite the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture resulting in reduced leisure time and a less-diverse diet, leading to potential nutritional deficiencies, the shift to farming was fundamental in the evolution of human societies. Settled agricultural life also enabled the storage of surplus food, creating a buffer against times of scarcity and aiding in the establishment of stable communities. Thus, while there were health costs, the advancements in agriculture were instrumental in shaping human civilization.