Image courtesy of Becki Gill
Joel Kontinen
Could we make people live longer as they do now, without
suffering from illnesses? Answer my friend, is not blowing in the wind, it seems to
be yes.
“Diet and exercise will only get you so far, but there
is a magic bullet that could make us all live longer, says professor of global
public health Devi Sridhar.
According to Devi Sridhar, we have our health priorities all wrong. In fact, we’ve been sold a giant myth. We are unhealthily
obsessed with what we can do personally – diet, exercise and the rest – and
largely ignore the most important determinant of our health. This magic bullet:
government.
Public health measures like universal healthcare,
drinkable water, clean air and safe roads have a much bigger impact on our
chances of making it to 100 than any number of gym sessions or kale smoothies.
Sridhar, a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh,
UK, has a new book out called How Not to Die (Too Soon), which makes a
robust case that public health, not just individual striving, is not key to
living a long and healthy life. “
Source:
Graham Lawton 2025 You’ve been sold a giant myth when it comes to improving your health | New Scientist 2 July
Posts
