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Ethan Legge
Professor Collins
ENGL 1302
31 March 2016

The Secrets to Living a Longer, Healthier Life

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the expected lifespan of humans has increased
gradually in developed countries. Even though individuals are experiencing longer lives than
ever before, the natural greed of humanity has caused them to yearn for an even longer life.
Previously, increases in life expectancy have been the result of technological or medical
advancements. The British Broadcasting Company produced a documentary focused on
determining the underlying factors that result in longer lives. The BBCs main focus is not only
to find methods of increasing ones life, but to do it in a simplistic way with minimal technology
necessary. Through the use of precipitating and remote causes in Eat, Fast & Live Longer,
BBC suggests that a simple change in diet can significantly improve an individuals lifespan and
quality of life.
The opening, and simplest, dietary change presented in the video is to eat less. Through
the use of a precipitating cause and two genetically identical lab mice, it was determined that
merely consuming less food is sufficient to result in a longer life. Those two lab mice that were
observed in the documentary were fed diets that differed in the quantity of food given to the
mice, resulting in one of the mice being significantly larger than the other. Of the two mice, the
smaller mouse that had a restricted diet had a life expectancy approximately two years longer
than the larger, genetically identical mouse (Eat, Fast). A real world example of how eating

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less effects the length of ones life is the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, the
average life expectancy of American citizens increased by six years due to a decrease in
overeating (Eat, Fast). An entry into Science Magazine concluded that restricting the diet of a
rodent is known to decelerate the rate of aging, increase mean and maximum life-spans, and
inhibit the occurrence of many spontaneous cancers (Science Magazine). Although the study
was conducted on a rodent and not a human, one can reasonably assume that similar results
would occur if the study was conducted on identical twins. Regardless of species, the evidence
from Science Magazine is still in agreement with the information provided in the documentary. It
can logically be concluded that restricting ones diet is sufficient enough to result in a healthier
life and an increase in the longevity of that individuals healthier life.
A far more recent and scientific dietary strategy to increase life expectancy is focused on
reducing levels of Insulin Growth Factor One or IGF-1 by removing animal proteins from your
diet and switching to plant proteins. The plant proteins will produce far less IGF-1 than animal
proteins will. The reason an individual would want to decrease their IGF-1 levels is because it
has been determined to be a remote cause of several types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases,
and diabetes. The possible effects of low IGF-1 were first discovered by studying a group of
people living in Ecuador. These people have an extraordinarily rare disease called Laron
Syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by extremely low levels of IGF-1. Among all the
individuals that have ever had Laron Syndrome, none of them have ever gotten any kind of
cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes, regardless of their lifestyle (Eat, Fast). It has been
determined that the Insulin Growth Factor One is not the sole cause of any of those conditions.
Although, it can be concluded that it plays a part in the occurrence of those conditions. In a
different study in Science Magazine, it was determined that IGF-I is a mitogen for prostate

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epithelial cells. This essentially means that IGF-1 induces the reproduction and multiplication of
prostate cells. An increased rate of reproduction leads to an increase in the number of mutations
of prostate cells, which can lead to prostate cancer. In a study that compared the likelihood of
developing prostate cancer among men with varying levels of IGF-1, A strong positive
association was observed between IGF-I levels and prostate cancer risk (Science Magazine).
This positive correlation observed by Science Magazine is in agreement with the information
provided in the BBC documentary. Thus, leading one to believe that eating foods that result in
high levels of IGF-1 can be detrimental to the longevity of ones life.
Another dietary strategy to improve the length and quality of ones life is alternate day
fasting. This form of fasting is a precipitating cause due to the immediate biochemical changes
that it brings forth. In alternate day fasting, an individual will spend a fast day eating twentyfive percent of their daily caloric intake. The subsequent day is called the feed day, and an
individual is allowed to eat whatever their heart desires on that day. Whether they choose to eat
healthy or unhealthy on their feed day, that individual will experience the same outcome of lower
cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The effects of lowering the levels of cholesterol
and triglycerides results in a decreased likelihood of heart disease and other age related diseases
(Eat, Fast). All of the mentioned effects will increase ones life expectancy and health. In an
experiment conducted prior to the documentary by the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, it was determined that alternate day fasting results in increased insulin sensitivity,
stress resistance, reduced morbidity, and increased life span (PNAS). Although this list of
outcomes is different from the list presented by the documentary, they are both positive for an
individuals health and longevity. It cannot be concluded if BBC presented factually accurate
information in their documentary. Nevertheless, all research suggests that alternate day fasting

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will translate to a longer life with a decrease in various medical conditions that are detrimental to
ones health.
Alternate day fasting also has a significant impact on the brain. In another precipitating
cause, alternate day fasting brings forth an improvement in cognitive function and memory and
creates new nerve cells in the brain. Hunger triggers the birth of new neurons in the brain by
stressing the gray matter in the same way that exercise stresses the muscles. These newly
created neurons are what improve cognitive function and memory (Eat, Fast). In an
independent study conducted more recently than the documentary, it was concluded that fasting
has even more mental improvements than previously recognized. Among these improvements are
that it enhances performance on memory tests in the elderly, promotes recovery after stroke or
traumatic brain injury, and decreases risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and
Parkinsons disease (Bair). The research provided the same information as the documentary and
it also added some advantages to fasting not presented by BBC. Although alternate day fasting
has no effect on the length of ones life, it provides tremendous benefits to mental ability and can
significantly improve an individuals life by decreasing the likelihood of developing Alzheimers
and Parkinsons.
The British Broadcasting Corporation was exceptionally successful in demonstrating
various techniques that can prolong ones life time as well improve the quality of ones life. A
vast majority of the information provided by the BBC in their documentary corresponded with
information done by outside research facilities. For those two reasons, Eat, Fast, & Live
Longer was a documentary of superb quality and can provide priceless information to those that
are trying to live longer and healthier.

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Works Cited
Anson, R. Michael, Rafael de Cabo, Zhihong Guo, Adrienne Hagepanos, Donald K. Ingram,
Titilola Iyun, Mark A. Lane, Mark P. Mattson, Michelle Rios. Intermittent fasting
dissociates beneficial effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal
resistance to injury from calorie intake. PNAS. 100.10 (2003): 6216-6220. Web. 15
March 2016.
Dietary restriction has been shown to have several health benefits including increased
insulin sensitivity, stress resistance, reduced morbidity, and increased life span. The
mechanism remains unknown, but the need for a long-term reduction in caloric intake to
achieve these benefits has been assumed. We report that when mice are maintained on an
intermittent fasting dietary-restriction regimen their overall food intake is not decreased
and their body weight is maintained.
Bair, Stephanie. Intermittent Fasting: Try This at Home for Brain Health. Stanford Law and
Biosciences Blog. 9 Jan. 2015. Web. 19 March 2016.
In non-human animal models as well as in humans, IER leads to weight loss and reduced
body fat; lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate; and improves risk markers for
cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This is true even when the fasters overall
calorie consumption is the same as a non-faster. Just by giving yourself an occasional
break from eating, then, you do your body a big favor, even if you dont eat less overall.
Chan, June M, Peter H. Gann, Edward Giovannucci, Charles H. Hennekens, Jing Ma, Michael
Pollak, Meir J. Stampfer. Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Prostate Cancer
Risk: A Prospective Study. Science. 279.5350 (1998): 563-566. Web. 13 March. 2016.
Insulin-like growth factorI (IGF-I) is a mitogen for prostate epithelial cells. A strong

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positive association was observed between IGF-I levels and prostate cancer risk. Men in
the highest quartile of IGF-I levels had a relative risk of 4.3 (95 percent confidence
interval 1.8 to 10.6) compared with men in the lowest quartile.
Eat, Fast & Live Longer. Dir. Kate Dart. Perf. Michael Mosley. BBC Horizon, 2012. Web.
Michael Mosley and the rest of his crew travel across America to try out various dieting
techniques to determine which ones will lead to the best lives. These various techniques
are all given a trial run by Mosley and given scientific data to suggest why it might work.
After he tries all the diets he gives his personal and scientific feedback of how the diet
went and comes to a conclusion on which dieting strategy he prefers.
Walford, RL, R Weindruch. Dietary Restriction in Mice Beginning at 1 Year of Age: Effect on
Life-Span and Spontaneous Cancer Incidence. Science. 215.4538 (1982): 1415-1418.
Web. 2 March 2016.
Lifelong dietary restriction beginning at 3 to 6 weeks of age in rodents is known to
decelerate the rate of aging, increase mean and maximum life-spans, and inhibit the
occurrence of many spontaneous cancers. In the experiments now reported the food
intake of 12- to 13-month-old mice of two long-lived strains was restricted by using
nutrient-enriched diets in accordance with the concept of "undernutrition without
malnutrition." The mice on the restricted diet averaged 10 to 20 percent increases in mean
and maximum survival times compared to the control mice. Spontaneous lymphoma was
inhibited by the food restriction.