Brilliant science communicator: Dr Michael Mosley inspired audiences around the world to live healthier lives, as evidenced by the outpouring of affection for him. Photo / Getty Images
Brilliant science communicator: Dr Michael Mosley inspired audiences around the world to live healthier lives, as evidenced by the outpouring of affection for him. Photo / Getty Images
Like many, we at the Listener, were deeply saddened by the news of British TV doctor Michael Mosley’s sudden death. Over the years, Listener writers have had the pleasure of interviewing Mosley many times about his findings on health and wellbeing. He’s been described as a brilliant science communicator whoinspired audiences around the world to live healthier lives, as evidenced by the outpouring of affection for him at his death.
His style, on and off our TV screens, was friendly, affable and engaging as he was passionate about teasing out causes and solutions for modern-day ills.
In an interview in late March, Mosley, at 67, told the Listener he had no desire to cut back on his work. “[My wife] Clare and I have these conversations – is it time to slow down? When we stop being stimulated about things, we may slow down.” But he was already looking forward to a deep dive into a new area of research – psychobiotics – and was even planning another trip to New Zealand next year.
“I bang on about these things because I think they’re really, really important,” he told the Listener and he had the satisfaction of seeing his rapid weight-loss diets, like the Fast 800, for reversing diabetes, gaining popularity and resonance within the medical profession and scientific community.
If a diverse range of the right microbes in our gut is the key to good health, what’s the best way to encourage them? Michael Mosley says we can start by not accidentally killing them off.
In this 2017 cover story, Nicky Pellegrino interviews the late British TV doctor on the best foods for good microbes, which can lead to a leaner body type, stronger immune system, and better heart and brain health. You can read the full article here.
Michael Mosley: has shifted his sights to the microbiome. Photo / Supplied
After great success with guides on diet, exercise and healthy living, Michael Mosley has polished up his 2020 book Fast Asleep, which went rather unnoticed during the pandemic, and released 4 Weeks to Better Sleep, with updated evidence and his own personal experiences.
He talks to Ruth Brown about why quarter of all Kiwis have trouble sleeping, unable to find solutions to this age-old problem. You can read the article here.
Michael Mosley: Busting the myths about getting a good night’s sleep. Photo / Supplied
In this extract from his new book, Dr Michael Mosley traverses learning to live with insomnia and the links between snoring, sleep apnoea and being overweight. You can read the extract here.
In 2020, Michael Mosley did something out of character: he started eating junk food.
Initially, he rather enjoyed the novelty of unhealthy eating. “It took me back to the foods of my adolescence,” says Mosley. “And I quite liked eating things I hadn’t tried for a long while. But I didn’t like the way it made me feel. I was hungry all the time, sleeping badly and snoring loudly. It had an impact on my mood; I got a bit depressed and in a matter of days felt more lethargic.” You can read more about Michael Mosley’s experiment here.
"As well as leaving you feeling exhausted, sleep apnoea greatly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke." Photo / Supplied
