Rangan Chatterjee is a medical doctor, best known in the UK as the star of Doctor in the House, the BBC series that helps restore people to optimal health. After two decades of practicing medicine, Dr Chatterjee is on a mission to replace pills with “lifestyle prescriptions.” He believes that people are needlessly suffering and that health care professionals should put more emphasis on preventing chronic, lifestyle-related conditions though behavioral changes. The author of The 4 Pillar Plan says the secret to a longer, healthier life lies in relaxation, sleeping, movement and a carefully chosen diet. He also acknowledges that healthy eating has become “incredibly complicated.” In this in-depth interview Dr Chatterjee explains how modern lifestyles are negatively impacting our health; why his personal longevity goal involves the ski slopes of the French Alps and the difference a ’switch-off’ routine makes to restful sleep.

Notes and quotes

“I love going to be out French Alps and skiing. I honestly see no reason why I can’t be doing that at 95 and that’s one of my goals…I’d like to live far past 100 if I can, as long as I could do it in good health and I absolutely believe that that’s possible.”

“There’s a lot of pressure on it and we’re struggling to cope.  The reason we’re struggling to cope is because there is too much lifestyle disease being put on the NHS and its system is not set up around that.”

“At about eight thirty, I try to switch my phone off, switch my computer off and unwind. And normally by half 9 or 10 I’m in bed.”