Oncologist Ezekiel Emanuel shares 6 evidence-based rules for healthy aging

Health and wellness information posted on television, podcasts, social media, websites and elsewhere can be overwhelming, but a leading oncologist and University of Pennsylvania bioethicist argues that healthy aging can be simplified with six evidence-based rules.

“Don’t be stupid”, Dr. It is the first principle proposed by Ezekiel Emanuel in his book “Eat Your Ice Cream.” Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.”

“Don’t be stupid” Emanuel said recently on the ZOE Science and Nutrition podcast. “This was something my father often said to his three sons when we did something stupid.”

Emanuel’s siblings are former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and powerful talent agent Ari Emanuel.

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Emanuel argued that obviously dangerous activities such as BASE jumping, climbing Mount Everest, smoking and vaping are examples of stupidity because they carry a high risk of death.

Other principles for living longer and reducing disease risk include prioritizing an active social life, staying mentally active with new hobbies and learning opportunities, limiting processed and sugary foods and drinks without being overly restrictive, getting moderate exercise, and getting appropriate sleep.

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“Our entire brain is built around social interactions, and it does so much more for us,” Emanuel said. “We know that if you are alone, if you are socially isolated, you significantly increase your risk of death.

“More than three million people worldwide have enrolled in studies on social interaction and longevity,” he continued. “And people who are socially isolated, who have zero or one friend, they don’t see their friends very much, those people are much more likely to die in the next few years.”

According to Emanuel, being socially isolated or lonely is “equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

Both close relationships and casual social interactions contribute to well-being, he said.

Emanuel explained why he thinks much of society’s obsession with wellness is toxic and why what he calls the “wellness industrial complex” is wrong.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel said the wellness industrial complex’s obsession with wellness is toxic. (iStock)

“You shouldn’t be obsessed with wellness,” Emanuel said on the podcast. “You have to be obsessed with living a meaningful life. That’s what really matters, and wellness is just a means to an end.”

Much of the wellness industry focuses on misguided self-denial, Emanuel said.

“For humans, biology is about homeostasis, the balance between one extreme and another,” he said.

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He added that society’s current obsession with healthy living is nothing new.

“Wellness is a response to a world that has been turned upside down, to a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, to people feeling like their lives are out of control,” he said. “And wellness is a response. It’s something I can control, what I eat, the vaccines I take, exercise, and I think that’s what we have today. That’s a lot of self-control translated into wellness as an outlet.”

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel says he, too, is a teetotaler but serves alcohol at dinner parties because he believes it acts as a social lubricant. (iStock)

Emanuel said the body grows when it doesn’t engage in extreme dieting or exercise. He also drinks, but his wife enjoys cocktails and they serve alcohol at a dinner party.

Don’t drink or use alcohol alone to drown out your sorrows or avoid dealing with them, Emanuel advised.

The ZOE podcast asked Emanuel to advise listeners who don’t follow any of the rules of six on what to try first.

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“Dinner parties,” he said. “You cook and you both have beautiful, healthy meals because you cooked it and you challenge your mind because you add a new recipe and figure out how to do it right.

A health expert says hosting a dinner party is a health-giving activity that people should participate in. (iStock)

“You have people, so you have social connections,” he continued. “You challenge your mind with a good conversation. And when it’s all over, you go for a walk, so you get some physical activity. It’s like you’ve done almost everything in wellness. All of those elements are key to wellness, and it’s the kind of thing you can do, you know, once a week or… And you’ll be happier.”