3 minutes with Professor Stephen Simpson
This is the fourth part in a short series of interviews with the esteemed folk who spoke on August 11 at ‘An Evening with Dr David Katz. Lifestyle, environment and chronic disease: a confluence of causes.’ Co-hosted by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the Charles Perkins Centre.
We find out what led them to their current field and what their thoughts are on recent health movements. And, just for good measure – as Roman poet, Ovid, said, “In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are” – we look for a small insight into who they are outside of their work.
How did you become interested in the area of chronic disease?
After working for many years on locusts. Believe it or not.
With ‘clean eating’ and ‘fitspiration’ all the rage, people feel like they are being bombarded with healthy lifestyle messages. Why do you think this trend is not reflected in society’s health?
Because the powers that encourage an unhealthy lifestyle are simply too strong and pervasive. We have built a world that in every respect mitigates against a healthy lifestyle. We have met all our ancestral hearts desires (safe, abundant palatable food, and no need to expend energy to acquire it) and it is killing us.
If you could address only one of the barriers facing a shift towards preventative health, what would it be?
The fact that commercial and political drivers are misaligned with healthy lifestyles.
Do you think health professionals should be more concerned with environmental issues?
Yes, indubitably.
You have 3 hours of completely uninterrupted time; how do you spend it?
Fishing.
What does your usual lunch at work look like?
Not much. [Editor: Perhaps a reference to that famous quote from Michael Pollan, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”?]
Read more and watch the talks at An Evening with Dr David Katz – Lifestyle, environment and chronic disease: a confluence of causes.
