Next: heart disease
The introductory chapters
This page is just about the four short introductory chapters of the book. For an overview of the whole book, see About the book.)
1. Live longer, stay healthier
The first chapter is included here in full. It sets out the basic argument of the book - that much of what we think of as "old age" is due to diseases and that these diseases can often be prevented. Hardly anyone dies of old age: it's these diseases that kill most of us. Take steps to avoid the diseases and you could have a long and healthy life. Humans probably have a natural maximum lifespan of around 120 years, and people who live beyond 100 can often be in great health.
2. What stops people living to 110
The second chapter is also included here, and it's worth a look. It provides a clear perspective about what are the real dangers of life, which may well surprise you. It's based on Government statistics.
3. How great is the benefit? How good is the evidence?
There is a vast amount of advice related to health - perhaps too much. Some is well worth following and will make a great difference to your health. Other advice may only make a small difference or none at all. Some is simply wrong. How do you know which advice to take?
We have rated all our main suggestions in the book in two ways: how much benefit could each bring you, and how strong is the science behind it. This chapter explains our simple ratings system, and for anyone interested it briefly discusses what science is and how scientific studies are carried out.
4. A friendly introduction to some chemistry
This won't be for everyone, but understanding a little chemistry can make discussions of processes in your body -- and even of food -- much more interesting. This chapter introduces what is special about the four main atoms that make up most of our body and also our food, and gives an idea of what fats, sugars, protein and other food types actually look like on a small scale.
Next: heart disease