A month before he died, Dr Michael Mosley told me that he was looking forward to the future. In one of his last interviews, he revealed that he has no intention of slowing down nor is he considering retirement. On the contrary, he was determined to continue working “until they told me to stop.”
“I am 67 years old and many of my friends are now retired,” he told me during our 30-minute phone conversation. Characteristically warm, honest and generous with his time, he said: “Neither I nor Clare [his wife] Do you intend to give up your job? Why would you give up? Now in my mid to late 60s, I’m quite happy to continue writing, giving public talks, and doing television and podcasting.
The interview was planned for a magazine where he would share his views on the secrets of longevity and how people (especially those over 50) can ensure they stay healthy.
We have corresponded via email before for another feature, but this was my first conversation with Dr Mosley. He was humble about his success and generous in praising his family’s involvement in his career. “Being married to a doctor helps, she has a lot of doctor friends and one of my sons is a doctor — that’s about it,” she said, describing how her training as a doctor aided her “knowledge and curiosity about diet and the human body.” “This helps me stay in touch.”
He talked about his excitement about traveling to Australia and New Zealand next year, where he also found fame, and we promised to stay in touch about the Antipodean tour, as I am a dual British/Australian citizen. “Give me a ring whenever you want,” he said, and he meant it.
However, on Wednesday, June 5, the much-loved television doyenne met with her husband, general practitioner Dr. He disappeared while on holiday with Clare Bailey on the Greek island of Symi near Rhodes. The couple was staying there with two friends who had a house on the island.
After walking along the beach to their accommodation he failed to return and his wife was alarmed. A search party was launched and all four of her children were flown in to join the effort. It was four days before he was found dead.
When we spoke on April 30, Michael was full of enthusiasm for the future, explaining that he didn’t want to die too young and wanted to spend quality time with his family.
He described his job, his career trajectory and, most of all, how much he enjoyed working with Clare, describing their partnership as a “dream team.” “It’s great to collaborate with your partner,” he continued.
Bailey co-wrote all but the first of the diet books, and the pair were working on a book about mental health. “I think this is a really interesting and current area,” she continued. She talked about the importance of having a “sense of purpose,” especially as you get older.
“I just made a TV series called Secrets of the Super Elders This took me around the planet visiting people who were biologically extremely young for their age. And one of the things is to have a sense of purpose. “There’s a lot of research showing the benefits of taking time off, getting together with friends and things like that,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of men making friends when they retire. “Men are not that good at building relationships in general,” he said. “And when they retire, they suddenly realize they don’t have any friends,” he said. Explaining that he did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps, he said: “When my father retired, he would sit on the couch and watch sports, and it was incredibly bad for him.”
He also said he helped Clare with her online parenting program. Parenting Matters. “It’s important for parents and also for grandparents to figure out how to develop relationships,” he said. “It’s funny because a lot of these skills you learn for kids are the exact same skills you need for your co-workers.”
The couple had recently taken part in a theater tour in the UK. Eat (Better), Sleep (Better), Live (Longer)was improving physical and mental health and was looking forward to going to Australia and New Zealand with him in 2025. “Clare loves doing these things and it’s so much fun touring with her, it’s so much more fun than doing this.” “myself,” he said.
He also described his unusual career trajectory and how he retrained as a doctor after studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, before returning to the BBC where he worked behind the scenes before gaining a reputation as a much-loved doctor. Television doctor and nutrition writer.
He told me his mantra was to say yes to everything and see where it took him. “I never know where it will go.”
Including television programs Trust me, I’m a doctorAlong with diet books, it would change the lives of thousands of people. One of his best-known books Fast DietWritten with journalist Mimi Spencer in 2013, the book was, in her words, “seen as outlandish and a bit crazy” at the time. Still, it sold an estimated 1.5 million copies and popularized the intermittent fasting movement; He would go on to publish more books, including. fast 800along with an online program and a variety of protein bars, shakes, soups and vitamins under the brand.
“Everything was completely unforeseen and unplanned, and opportunities came out of nowhere,” he continued. “I tell my kids: When an opportunity is right, say yes and they ask you, ‘Can you do this?’ when they ask. You say yes because you never know; It can take you in unexpected directions. “You should not be afraid of change.”
Michael also had a successful podcast called. just one thingIn which he discusses simple changes that can improve health and longevity. It was being filmed for a TV show; The presenter said the loss of loved ones motivates him. “Two of my close male friends have died in recent years due to undiagnosed hypertension and stroke,” he said. “At least half of Brits over the age of 50 have hypertension or high blood pressure. You wouldn’t know if you haven’t had measurements recently. You can buy the kit from a pharmacy or online; blood pressure is an absolutely crucial thing,” he said.
He was also greatly affected by his father’s death from complications related to diabetes.
Mosley was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the same age as his father, prompting him to discover how diet could reverse the condition and subsequently change the course of both his health and professional life. “That’s what motivated me to write a book, and that’s everything that’s happened since,” he said.
“When my GP told me I needed to start medication it shouldn’t have come as a shock because my father had diabetes at the same age as me (55),” he said. “And my father died at age 74 from complications of diabetes. “I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was.”
Michael reversed his diabetes. “I saw what happened to my father,” he said. “He hadn’t seen his grandchildren grow up. “I thought that wasn’t a path I wanted to go down.”