Want to know if coconut oil is good or bad for cholesterol? Michael Mosley’s shows and books are all about health and wellness. And, when he is not busting myths, he is busy researching what to work on next. The Kolkata-based BBC television producer is known for his series Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, which helps viewers find answers to health-related questions. He has also authored books like The Fast Diet (also known as the 5:2 diet), Fast Exercise and The Blood Sugar Diet. A winner of two Emmys and a BAFTA, the 61-year-old speaks with Indulge about his TV show.
Going strong
Michael’s journey in nutrition and food was fuelled by his own health concerns when he was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. “I followed a diet from the internet and shed 10 kilos. Soon after that, I wanted to study more about the disease and help fellow human beings from other cultures and places,” he explains. On the show, the hosts have conducted episodes on turmeric and coconut oil apart from Indian pulses, lentils and kidney beans. “We are not specific to the Indian lifestyle, and we give importance to global concerns as well. For instance, turmeric, which was earlier a traditional part of Indian cuisine, is now getting fashionable and going to places as far as Sydney and London. In the last few episodes, we look at its benefits along with cumin and coconut oil, through an experiment with 100 volunteers,” he says.
Finding the cure
Michael leads a research team that includes five highly qualified doctors, and eight researchers in physiology from Cambridge, with experience in different fields of science. The show has become extremely popular for its live experiments , and that’s what sets it apart. “The history of medicine dates back to doctors and physicians who conducted experiments on themselves. Early anaesthetics was discovered by a set of doctors for different kinds of pain, until they all passed out,” says Michael. This makes the show more factual through natural stories unfolding in front of the viewers. “Even I don’t know how the experiments would turn out before doing them. It’s the uncertainity of the results that makes the show engaging,” he adds. “My next topic of study would be type-2 diabetes among Indians, which I think is a rising concern. I have already done a study in the UK and Australia, and doctors tend to believe that it is incurable,” he shares. People are looking for natural remedies instead of relying on heavy dosage of antibiotics and medicines, he adds. The doctor also lets us in on a scary prediction, that in the future, more people are expected to die of over-eating than malnourishment. Michael’s last book was The Clever Gut Diet: How to Revolutionise your Body from Inside Out, while his next book will focus on sleep.
Trust Me, I’m A Doctor airs on Sony BBC Earth.