Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Jordan Peterson: Diet and Death

The video by Dr. Jordan Peterson is about the concept of health span, which is the quality of life and the medical definition of health span is not a particularly helpful definition in Dr. Peter Attia's view. He believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age. Dr. Attia also talks about the importance of expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se. He also mentions the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

This video by Jordan B Peterson was published on May 25, 2023.
Video length: 01:53:54.

The video is about the concept of health span, which is the quality of life and the medical definition of health span is not a particularly helpful definition in Dr. Peter Attia's view.

He believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age, which generally decline with age. Dr. Attia also talks about the importance of getting the definitions and measurements right, as systems optimize to maximize their score on what they're measured by. He also mentions that living to 140 wouldn't be so good if you were senile for the last 70 years and institutionalized. Dr. Attia also talks about the importance of preserving cognitive, physical, and emotional health as long as possible and being specific about what those things are.

He also talks about the content he has created over the past year and the limited time offer of a seven-day free trial at dailywire plus to access all his content.

• The standard American diet was created as a solution to a business problem.
• It is killing people.
• Health span is the quality of life and the period of time from which you are free of disability and disease.
• Longevity is a function of lifespan and health span.
• Health span is more important to most people when pressed on the issue.
• Expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues.
• Expanding youth rather than longevity per se is important.
• The existential quality of life is an important aspect of health span.
• Cognitive and physical health are the pieces that decline with age.

Diet and Death | Dr. Peter Attia | EP 360 - YouTube

The Standard American Diet

• The standard American diet was created as a solution to a business problem.
• It is killing people.
• The concept of health span is broader than the medical definition.
• Health span includes cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• At least two of these aspects are intimately linked to age.

Health Span vs. Longevity

• Health span is the quality of life and the period of time from which you are free of disability and disease.
• Longevity is a function of lifespan and health span.
• Health span is more important to most people when pressed on the issue.
• Health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• At least two of these aspects are intimately linked to age.

Quality of Life Issues

• Expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues.
• Expanding youth rather than longevity per se is important.
• The existential quality of life is an important aspect of health span.
• Cognitive and physical health are the pieces that decline with age.
• Preserving these aspects as long as possible is important.

Diet and Death | Dr. Peter Attia | EP 360 - YouTube

Content Creation

• The content created over the past year represents some of the best to date.
• Additional exploration in today's most challenging topics has been undertaken.
• There is a nice increment in production quality courtesy of daily wire.
• Access to all content with a seven-day free trial is available at dailywire.
• New in-depth series on marriage, creating a life vision, and exploring the book of Exodus is included.

Introduction

• Dr. Peter Attia discusses the concept of health span and its importance in maintaining cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• He believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age.
• Dr. Attia talks about the importance of expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se.
• He also mentions the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

Cognitive Health

• Dr. Attia discusses the decline of cognitive function with age, especially in terms of fluid intelligence from about the age of 25 forward.
• He mentions that cognitive remediation exercises have never shown any evidence of increasing or maintaining IQ.
• Dr. Attia recommends cardiovascular exercise and weightlifting as the best pathway to cognitive health.
• He explains that the brain is an oxygen-demanding organ and other energy-demanding organ, and keeping oneself cardiovascularly fit is the best way to maintain cognitive function.

Psychological Health

• Dr. Attia discusses interventions that help people get their stories straight, such as psychotherapy and written interventions.
• He mentions that general uncertainty that reduces stress and produces a physiological benefit is an interesting interplay between the emotional and physical aspects of health.
• Dr. Attia recommends exercise rather than thinking as a way to improve cognitive function and maintain it.
• He mentions that straightening out one's story and facing traumas rather than saying exercise is a way to improve physiology.

Expanding Health Span

• Dr. Attia recommends exercise as the most valuable tool we have for both the cognitive and physical components of health.
• He mentions that controlling blood pressure, lipids, and other things that matter also contribute to health span.
• Dr. Attia explains that exercise acts on so many different levels, such as metabolic level, reduction of inflammation, vascular health, and improvements in glucose disposal and insulin sensitivity.
• He mentions that exercise is a potent tool that can delay or prevent dementia, making it an important aspect of expanding health span.

The Benefits of Exercise

• Exercise is a potent tool for neurons and can improve brain health.
• Regular exercise can reduce brain volume loss over time.
• Exercise can improve cognitive function.
• Exercise can improve emotional health.
• Exercise can improve physical health.

Challenges of Changing Habits

• It is difficult for people to change their attitudes or actions.
• It is difficult for people to form a strategy and break down a problem into simple enough steps to implement.
• People often do not have the time or motivation to exercise regularly.
• People may not know how to incorporate exercise into their daily routine.
• People may not have the self-discipline to stick to an exercise routine.

Starting an Exercise Routine

• The simplest possible change that produces the maximum possible benefit should be the starting point.
• A daily walk of 10 minutes in the morning is a good starting point for someone who is doing no exercise.
• The amount of exercise needed to see a benefit depends on the person's baseline.
• Going from zero to three hours a week produces a greater benefit than going from any other point on the exercise curve.
• The probability of dying this year can be cut in half by going from zero to three hours of exercise per week.

Effective Ways to Exercise

• 30 minutes of low-intensity cardio, such as brisk walking, is an effective way to exercise for someone who is not particularly fit.
• The most effective way to exercise is to find an activity that the person enjoys and can do regularly.
• The person should aim to exercise for at least 90 minutes per day, three to five times per week.
• The person should aim to exercise at a moderate intensity, where they are out of breath but can still carry on a conversation.
• The person should aim to exercise at a time that works for their schedule and lifestyle.

The Importance of Health Span

• Dr. Peter Attia believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age.
• He thinks that health span is a more useful definition of health than the medical definition, which is not particularly helpful in his view.
• Dr. Attia mentions the importance of expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se.
• He also talks about the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

Behavior Change and Physiologic Change

• Dr. Attia separates between behavior change and physiologic change.
• He believes that for some people, behavior change is the first step towards physiologic change.
• Dr. Attia thinks that behavior change is important, even if it doesn't lead to immediate physiologic change.
• He believes that behavior change can lead to a reset of behavior, which can eventually lead to physiologic change.

Small Changes in Daily Habits

• Dr. Attia believes that small changes in daily habits can have a significant impact on health span.
• He thinks that these small changes can be the first step towards making larger changes in behavior and physiology.
• Dr. Attia mentions walking as an example of a small change that can have a big impact on health span.
• He believes that small changes in daily habits can be a good starting point for making larger changes in behavior and physiology.

Exercise and Health Span

• Dr. Attia talks about the importance of exercise in improving health span.
• He mentions strength and muscle mass as two important metrics for health span.
• Dr. Attia believes that exercise is an integral function that adds up the work that has been done over time.
• He thinks that exercise is a key component of a healthy lifestyle that can lead to a longer and more fulfilling life.

The Importance of Grip Strength

• Grip strength is a good marker of overall health and well-being.
• It is particularly important in elderly people.
• Grip strength is not just important because it helps with daily tasks, but also because it is a good predictor of longevity.
• Comparing the top decile to the bottom decile in grip strength shows a 70% difference in incidence and death from dementia.
• Grip strength is one of the most potent predictors of a long life.

The Decline in Muscle Mass with Aging

• Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass, is a natural part of aging.
• Type 2 muscle fibers, which are responsible for explosive power, are the first to atrophy with age.
• Explosive strength is closely linked to overall strength and muscle size.
• By the time a person is 75, the decline in muscle size and strength is significant.
• Preventing the loss of strength and muscle mass is important for longevity.

Weightlifting and Cardiovascular Health

• Weightlifting can help prevent the loss of strength and muscle mass with age.
• Brisk walking is a simple and straightforward way to improve cardiovascular health.
• Adding weight to the back while walking, called rucking, can also improve cardiovascular health.
• Running with weights can be an effective way to improve cardiovascular health.
• Weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise can be combined for optimal health benefits.

The Benefits of Weightlifting

• Weightlifting can improve overall health and well-being.
• Weightlifting can improve coordination and neurological function.
• Weightlifting can help prevent the loss of strength and muscle mass with age.
• Weightlifting can improve cardiovascular health.
• Weightlifting can be a simple and straightforward way to improve health and well-being.

The Importance of Exercise

• Exercise is important for overall health and well-being.
• It can improve cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• Two dumbbells and a box can be used for a variety of exercises that target the lower body.
• Step-ups are a particularly effective exercise for the lower body.
• Focusing on the concentric phase of the exercise can help improve strength and balance.

The Importance of Eccentric Strength

• Eccentric strength is the strength exhibited by a muscle while it is getting longer.
• It is particularly important for maintaining balance and preventing falls in older adults.
• Loss of eccentric strength can lead to a reduction in mobility and quality of life.
• Carrying around a set of dumbbells can help improve upper body strength and grip strength.
• Initiating exercises like step-ups and squats can improve overall fitness and quality of life.

The Importance of Nutrition and Diet

• Nutrition and diet play a crucial role in overall health and well-being.
• Obesity and diabetes are linked to poor nutrition and diet.
• Physicians often adjust norms for blood sugar testing, which can be confusing.
• Maintaining normal levels of blood sugar is important for overall health and well-being.
• It is important to hold everyone to the same standard when it comes to nutrition and diet.

The Concept of Health Span

• Dr. Peter Attia believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• He believes that health span is intimately linked to age.
• Dr. Attia wants to expand the concept of health span to include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se.
• He also mentions the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

Glucose Tolerance Test

• The glucose tolerance test is used to measure insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal.
• Women have less muscle than men, so they are given a slightly higher glucose response but the same insulin response.
• The test is only effective for measuring glucose disposal in a specific time window.
• The test is used to measure the efficiency of muscles in taking up glucose.

Aging and Insulin Metabolism

• There is an unmistakable decline in insulin sensitivity as a person ages.
• On average, a person needs to be more diligent as they age to maintain insulin sensitivity.
• Testosterone promotes insulin sensitivity and lipolysis of fat by muscle.
• The decline of testosterone is playing a role in both men and women.

Other Factors Affecting Insulin Sensitivity

• Lipoprotein lipase LPL shifts more of its activity from muscle to fat as people age.
• Inflammation increases with aging.
• Less activity is seen as people age, which can affect insulin sensitivity.
• Jerry Shulman, a researcher at Yale, studies insulin resistance and requires his subjects to be physically inactive.

Relationship between Insulin Resistance and Aging

• Insulin resistance is a condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
• Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to insulin resistance, which in turn can lead to aging.
• The relationship between insulin resistance and aging is complex and multifaceted.
• Insulin resistance can lead to a variety of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
• Addressing insulin resistance can help to slow the aging process and improve overall health.

Expanding the Concept of Health Span

• Health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• Health span is not a particularly helpful definition in Dr. Peter Attia's view.
• Expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues is important.
• Expanding the concept of health span to include the existential quality of life is also important.
• Health span is not just about longevity, but also about the quality of life in those years.

Relationship between Muscle and Glucose

• Think of the muscle as a balloon and the glucose as the air that fills it.
• Glucose is a molecule that needs to be regulated very carefully in our bodies.
• The body does a great job of trying to take excess glucose out of the circulation and put it into muscle cells.
• A healthy person has about one teaspoon of glucose floating around all of their circulation at any moment in time.
• A person with Frank diabetes has two teaspoons of glucose in their circulation.

Insulin Resistance and Glucose Regulation

• Insulin resistance is a condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.
• The body does a great job of trying to take excess glucose out of the circulation and put it into muscle cells.
• The amount of insulin needed to make that happen is the hardness of blowing on the balloon.
• When you develop insulin resistance, you literally can't produce enough insulin to get sugar into the muscles.
• Eventually, you cannot make enough insulin and this is complicated by another factor which ties into this cascade of metabolic disease.

Health Span

• Dr. Peter Attia believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age.
• He believes that health span is not a particularly helpful definition in the medical definition of health span.
• Dr. Attia expands the concept of health span to include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se.
• He also mentions the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

Glycosylation

• Glycosylation is a process where glucose sticks to proteins, including hemoglobin in the blood, creating microscopic ischemia or lack of blood flow to the most distal perfused organs.
• End-stage glycosylation can damage small blood vessels, such as those in the kidneys, leading to kidney disease.
• It can also damage large and medium-sized blood vessels, such as the aorta and carotid arteries.
• Erectile dysfunction is also a common symptom of glycosylation, as it affects small blood vessels in the penis.

Insulin Resistance

• Insulin resistance is a condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels.
• Chronically elevated levels of insulin can damage large and medium-sized blood vessels, such as the aorta and carotid arteries.
• Insulin resistance can also lead to the propagation of fat tissue.
• Excess sugar can contribute to insulin resistance, as it can cause glycosylation and damage to blood vessels.

Fat Tissue

• Fat tissue is used to store energy, but it can also be harmful if it becomes excessively large.
• Excess fat tissue can lead to insulin resistance and other health problems.
• The body has a safe deposit of subcutaneous fat where excess energy and glucose can be stored.
• When the capacity of this fat storage is exceeded, water spills over, leading to total chaos and damage to organs.

The Dangers of Sugar Consumption

• The consumption of one soft drink per day can lead to additional glucose intake, which puts a strain on the body's insulin processing systems.
• The liver is responsible for converting excess glucose into fat through a process called de novo lipogenesis.
• The liver is an unsung hero in the body, performing many important functions including the ability to turn fat into glucose and vice versa.
• The process of turning glucose into fat involves breaking down the six-carbon molecule into two-carbon chunks and joining them in a long fatty acid chain.
• Storing energy in fat is the most efficient way to do so, as it is a chemical molecule that is highly efficient at storing energy.

The Food Pyramid and Insulin Resistance

• The food pyramid was produced by the Department of Agriculture as a marketing scheme, which led people to rely primarily on carbohydrates for their nutritional needs.
• Carbohydrates are transmuted into glucose during metabolism, and people consume more carbohydrates than they need to produce the amount of glucose they need.
• The introduction of the food pyramid has contributed to the rise in obesity and insulin resistance in the West.
• Carbohydrates, particularly corn syrup, provide an inexpensive source of calories, making them accessible to people who may not have access to more expensive foods.
• Early evidence suggests that a heavy carbohydrate-loaded diet can lead to insulin resistance and other health problems.

The Standard American Diet

• The standard American diet is a solution to a business problem.
• It was designed to produce lots of food at a low cost and be non-perishable and portable.
• The food had to be palatable to make it appealing to consumers.
• The solution to these four parameters is the standard American diet.
• The standard American diet is what is killing people.

The Food Pyramid

• The food pyramid is a recommendation for the typical diet.
• It is not a particularly helpful definition of health span.
• Health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
• Expanding the concept of health span to include quality of life issues is important.
• The existential quality of life is an important aspect of health span.

The Origin of the Standard American Diet

• The standard American diet was nothing more than a solution to a business problem.
• It was designed to produce lots of food at a low cost and be non-perishable and portable.
• The food had to be palatable to make it appealing to consumers.
• The solution to these four parameters is the standard American diet.
• The consequences of this epidemic of obesity were the consequence of solving a problem too effectively.

The Food Industry

• The food industry has failed in being honest about the discussion.
• Data have been suppressed and there is no honest discussion about the following.
• All calories are not created equal from an energy balance standpoint.
• Junk food hijacks your normal appetite centers.
• The food industry didn't set out to kill people, but it has failed in being honest about the discussion.

The Concept of Health Span

• Dr. Peter Attia believes that health span is a broader concept that constitutes some measure of cognitive, physical, and emotional health, and at least two of these are intimately linked to age.
• He argues that health span is not a particularly helpful definition in the medical sense.
• Dr. Attia believes that health span should include quality of life issues, such as the expansion of youth rather than longevity per se.
• He also mentions the existential quality of life as an important aspect of health span.

The Impact of Hyper Palatable Foods

• Dr. Attia notes that people who struggle with overeating are often those who consume hyper palatable foods that hijack their appetite.
• He believes that these foods make it easier for people to be disconnected from the true driver of appetite.
• Dr. Attia suggests that there are many hypotheses about why people are hardwired to get a certain amount of nutrient value and as the nutrient value of food deteriorates, they have to eat more food to get the same nutrient density.
• He also notes that some people argue that we are hardwired to get a certain amount of protein and as we dilute protein content in food, we have to eat more calories to get the same amount of protein.

Watch the video on YouTube:
Diet and Death | Dr. Peter Attia | EP 360 - YouTube