From my Goodreads Review –
My husband was initially quick to dismiss Petter Attia‘s book because neither the Blue Zones, Dan Buettner nor Michael Pollen were mentioned. However, once I explained Attia’s approach, my husband was more willing to listen. Actually, I had to explain the difference between the various approaches more than once, and each time we had a more substantive discussion, so perhaps in the long run my husband’s skepticism was helpful in clarifying not only Attia’s approach but also the content.
As someone who enjoys learning about anatomy and is intrigued by the inner workings of human bodies, I found the book refreshing, interesting and informative. Indeed, I took notes!
The gist of Attia’s approach focuses on four diseases, what he calls “The 4 Horsemen” (metabolic dysfunction and syndrome, cancer, Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular ie heart disease). If we want to not only live longer (lifespan) but also live with greater health during that time (health span) then we should be attuned to the practices that can help prevent or mitigate the possibility of winding up with any of the Horsemen.
As a certified medical doctor who spent the early part of his career in surgery and cancer research, Attia eventually switched to looking at the science and art of longevity. He makes the distinction between Medicine 2.0, which treats problems after they have developed and tends to looks at the 4 Horsemen as individual, unrelated conditions, and Medicine 3.0, which treats problems before they develop and sees commonalities between the 4 Horsemen. To that end he begins the book with explanations of the science and biology of the body vis-a-vis each of the Horsemen. As he writes:
Hopefully I have given you some understanding of the biological mechanisms that help predispose us to certain diseases and how these diseases progress. (p. 211)
The remainder of the book is dedicated to looking at the four mechanisms over which we have some control: movement/exercise, nutrition (which Attia calls nutritional biochemistry), sleep, and emotional health. In all cases, he is not prescribing nor is he providing one-size-fits-all suggestions. Rather, he is explaining the science of how each of these mechanisms impact our biology, which it turn impact our ability to be proactive in our own health care. (Posting a link he provides in his book to some of the exercises he discusses, mainly so I don’t lose the link.)
Ultimately, Attia’s approach posits that if you want to live a long life, wouldn’t you rather live it in the best possible health.
Neurons Firing 