How Not to Die (Too Soon)
My sticky notes from How Not to Die (Too Soon), by Devi Sridhar:
On the social dimension of health and why self-help is bollocks:
You might wonder why you should read this book if its about our limited agency...
In search of longevity, you could expose yourself to sunlight first thing every morning or take an ice bath, but if the air you are breathing is not clean, the water you are drinking is dirty, the roads you walk or drive on are unsafe, or many people you meet in the street carry military-grade weapons... well, your gratitude journal isn't going to do much.
On my paunch:
It should be less than 80cm for women and 94cm for men.
How Devi exercises:
Physical activity is 1.5 times more effective at reducing mild to moderate symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety than medication or cognitive behaviour therapy.
I tend to follow a weekly plan that involves cardio exercises (which increase heart rate), resistance training (which builds muscle), and flexibility and core strength training (to avoid injury and chronic pain).
On the Royal Canadian Airforce daily fitness routine adopted by Prince Phillip (!):
This is an eleven-minute workout involving five exercises: stretching (for two minutes), sit-ups (one minute), back extensions (one minute), push-ups (one minute) and running in place (6 minutes). The result was that he had a high-quality and active life, including good posture and walking without a cane, until he died ... months before his 100th birthday.
Interesting fact (especially when you think of how people in blue zones exercise as part of their daily work rather than in a gym):
Rising income and GDP in a country correlates with decreasing physical activity ... people become richer ... they become more inactive.
On the health inequalities of food:
While we have some agency over what we eat, our cicumstances play a major part too.
We have created an economy where eating a 'healthy' balanced diet ... is an expensive and luxury lifestyle requiring time, money and space. A Food Foundation report in 2023 found that the poorest 20 per cent would need to spend more than 50 per cent of their disposable income to eat in line with UK government recommendations on eating a balance diet. For the same number of calories, the average cost of healthy food (like fruit or vegetables) in 2019 was around £7.86 compared to £2.48 for poorer dietary options. ... Unhealthy food is cheap because the prime ingredients can be mass produced and these products can be created in non-perishable form. We have a situation where it is easy to buy very cheap calories with low levels of nutrients.
We also have to acknowledge that it's practically impossible in Britain or the United States for most families to follow an 'Okinawa' life, because even if an individual has the information, they don't have societal support and reinforcement in making healthier decisions.
On road deaths:
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for people aged between five and twenty-nine globally.
While Sustainable Development Goals called for a 50 per cent reduction of road traffic injuries by 2030, most countries won't reach this target and are going the other way.
A way to combat stress:
Scientific research shows that mindful breathing -- paying attention to your breath and trying to slow it down -- is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and improve overall mental and physical health. The autonomic nervous systems control the body's sympathetic (fight or flight) and patasympathetic (rest and restore) response, which links heart rate, breath rate and digestion. Fast breathing triggers the sympathetic nervous system, increasing stress hormones, heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety, while breathing slowly triggers the parasympathetic response to calm down.
In yoga, the three-part breath [pranayama] is supposed to symbolise: inhaling pure, fresh outside air; retaining it inside as oxygen spreads through our cells; and then exhaling carbon dioxide and visualising exhaling the stress. It's usually done to a four-count inhale, retaining for four counts, and exhaling for four counts. When I struggle to sleep or feel anxiety rising in my chest, I come back to this breath sequence.
On medical provision in societies:
Stepping back from ... statistics, the basic message is that even a country with limited resources and high poverty [like Senegal], universal health coverage is seen as a crucial goal, not only for the human right to health but also as a step towards poverty reduction, economic productivity, and human security.
On damaging media narratives:
For example, the COVID inquiry exposed how right-wing papers such as the Daily Mail were pushing the prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, to lift restrictions against scientific advice in 2020 and to encourage people into offices when the risk of infection was high. This policy position suited billionaires protected in their country estates, who wanted their workers back to being productive, even if the cost was their health or their life.
An absolutely superb book. Read it before too much time passes and while the research Devi cites is still current.