What caused him to focus on what one can do to improve one's health was the early death of his father at the age of 74. His father had developed diabetes and Dr Mosley didn't want to suffer in the same way, so when he, too, was diagnosed with diabetes, he did all he could to reverse it, which he did. He then became an evangelist for good health, promoting, in particular, the 5:2 fasting diet. (This is when you eat only 600 calories on two days of the week but eat sensibly on the other five.) As he said, his father never got to see his grandchildren grow up and that's not a fate that he wanted to suffer.
Well, Dr Michael Mosley is now dead. At the age of 67. Seven years earlier than his own father. Despite all his good health tips, his healthy lifestyle, and the fact that his own wife is a GP (general practitioner).
And why did he die so early? Because this qualified doctor, with all the research he had done over decades, thought it was a good idea to go for a walk in the early afternoon, in open countryside, in the searing heat of 37 degrees Celsius, with a small bottle of water, an umbrella and no mobile phone. Two hours later, he was dead. Of heatstroke. So all that healthy living was for nothing.
How could he think going for a walk in those temperatures was a good idea? How could his GP wife let him? Sometimes, cliches originate from general truths. One of them is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". Does the local population on that small Greek island go for a walk at the hottest time of the day? Do they? Do they heck. So what made him think it would be fine for him to do so?
Noel Coward, an English composer, playwright, director, actor and wit (a sort of 20th century Oscar Wilde), once wrote a song called Mad Dogs & Englishmen. Basically, the gist of the song went like this: Mad dogs and Englishmen, Go out in the midday sun. It seems that it's still true today.
Here is the suave and urbane Noel Coward (died 1973) singing his own song:
And as he goes at quite a pace, here are the lyrics:
In tropical climes there are certain times of dayWhen all the citizens retireTo tear their clothes off and perspire.It's one of those rules that the greatest fools obey,Because the sun is much too sultryAnd one must avoid its ultry-violet ray.
The native grieve when the white men leave their huts,Because they're obviously definitely nuts!
Mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the midday sun,The Japanese don't care to.The Chinese wouldn't dare to,Hindoos and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one.But Englishmen detest a siesta.In the PhilippinesThere are lovely screensTo protect you from the glare.In the Malay StatesThere are hats like platesWhich the Britishers won't wear.At twelve noonThe natives swoonAnd no further work is done.But mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the midday sun.
It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to seeThat though the English are effete,They're quite impervious to heat,When the white man rides every native hides in glee,Because the simple creatures hope heWill impale his solar topee on a tree.
It seems such a shameWhen the English claimThe earthThat they give rise to such hilarity and mirth.
Mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the midday sun.The toughest Burmese banditCan never understand it.In Rangoon the heat of noonIs just what the natives shun.They put their Scotch or Rye downAnd lie down.In a jungle townWhere the sun beats downTo the rage of man and beastThe English garbOf the English sahibMerely gets a bit more creased.In BangkokAt twelve o'clockThey foam at the mouth and run,But mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the midday sun.
Mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the midday sun.The smallest Malay rabbitDeplores this foolish habit.In HongkongThey strike a gongAnd fire off a noonday gunTo reprimand each inmateWho's in late.In the mangrove swampsWhere the python rompsThere is peace from twelve till two.Even caribousLie around and snooze;For there's nothing else to do.In BengalTo move at allIs seldom, if ever done.But mad dogs and EnglishmenGo out in the middayout in the middayout in the middayout in the middayout in the middayout in the middayout in the midday sun.
Source: Musixmatch
Dear Noel in his younger days:
I felt pity for him. He was a clever guy doing a lot of good work in making people aware of their health issues. He made one mistake, unfortunately a fatal one.
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