When I first heard the news of Michael Mosley’s disappearance on the island of Symi, I had a sense of foreboding which was confirmed four days later when his body was found. But more than that—I was taken by surprise at my sense of personal loss. Of course, there is always a rather unreal sense of attachment that fans feel about celebrities; fans feel they have a relationship with their hero which of course is entirely a projection.
But my sense of loss was tangible. It was not merely the tragic waste of a life—though the circumstances of his death were multiply tragic. He wrote only in March that he was two-thirds of his way to his goal of living to 100, a goal driven by the early death of his father and paternal grandfather:
My father died of heart failure at the age of 74, while my grandfather died of the same condition when he was just 66. My mother on the other hand, who is about to celebrate her 94th birthday, is still going strong.
His father had been diabetic due to weight gain since his fifties, and it was Michael’s discovery that he himself was pre-diabetic which led him to explore fasting and weight loss.
But the details of his death were heartbreaking. He had left his wife Clare on the beach where they were sitting (why? was he just feeling restless and bored?); he didn’t take his mobile phone with him (why not?); he had an umbrella with him to use as a parasol in the 40-degree heat, but lost it (why? what happened?); he took a wrong turn off the road back to the town they were staying (was he already delirious?); then clambered down a difficult and rocky hill, by now probably disoriented from heat exhaustion. He knew he was in trouble, as his body when found was in a pose recommended by doctors to counter dizziness. But the greatest tragedy of all was that he was by a wall which had a gate in it which he had missed; he was only 100 yards from a restaurant where he could have got help, and not far from a beach where people were swimming.
Part of my sense of loss arises from having been an avid Michael Mosley fan for many years. My children reminded me that weekly episodes of ‘Trust me—I’m a Doctor!’ were a fixture of our family tv viewing. I followed closely his research on intermittent fasting, and have made it a regular part of my life as a key way to keep my weight from going up as I get older—as well as being a spiritual discipline. I would try and watch anything that he appeared in, because he always combined an exploration of the scientific evidence with practical application.
That was the striking thing about his Radio 4 series ‘Just One Thing’. The format was simple: introduce an idea; find someone who will give it a go; talks to experts about the medical and scientific reasons why it might work; return to the person and find out how it has worked in practice. This combination of scientific background and practical benefits is powerfully motivating. As a result of this, I follow his recommendations in many of my daily practical habits:
- I turn the shower to cold at the end, which is good for reducing stress.
- I practice standing on one leg every day to improve my balance (which can deteriorate with age).
- I exercise major muscle groups through squats and press-ups which improve blood flow and reduce brain aging.
- I do short bursts of exercise several times during the day, rather than in one session.
- I get up earlier than I used to, and always go outside into the sunshine first thing, which improves your circadian rhythm.
- I spend some of the time walking our dog by walking backwards.
- I take a nap most afternoons.
- I eat beetroot (which can reduce blood pressure), have an apple a day, and eat nuts and seeds every day.
- I often spend time in green spaces, and all go out in the rain if I can.
These are all found in the radio episodes which you can listen to on BBC Sounds, and in the book he published in 2022 to go with the series. Dear Reader, you should follow them too!
The introduction to the book includes a ‘Ten Commandments’ of how and why all these things can make a difference to your life. I feel a great debt of gratitude to him; as someone commented to me online: ‘As feel as though I have lost a friend’. And the reach of his influence is reflected in the title of the BBC programme in tribute, presented by Dr Hannah Fry: ‘The Doctor Who Changed Britain’.
One of the hallmarks of these practices is that they are based on a holistic understanding of what it is to be human. Why should turning the shower to cold help with your mental health? Why would doing squats strengthen your immune system and boost your ability to think? The underlying reason is that we are not compartmentalised, divided in separate elements of body, mind, spirit, but each of us is a psychosomatic (body-soul) unity, a reality we find in the biblical portrayal of what it means to be human.
This connection with biblical anthropology provoked my curiosity as to Michael’s own relationship with Christian faith. The Times obituary, quoted in Wikipedia, noted:
Mosley described himself as “quite religious” until around the age of 20 and considered becoming a priest.
To make sense of this, we need to delve a little into his family background. His most personal articulation of his views was in an interview in the Sydney Morning Herald; the date on it is 2019, though it cites Michael’s age as 57, which was ten years ago.
My mother Joan never wanted to send me to boarding school in England. She did so at the request of my father Bill, who worked as a banker in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and wanted my older brother John and me to follow in his footsteps.
I left the family home at seven. Mum later told me she was heartbroken to send us away, that it was part of the overseas banking culture to do so and she followed her contemporaries. She would rather have had us at home and missed us terribly.
He attended Haileybury College as a border, then studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at New College, Oxford. It was whilst at Oxford that he appears to have lost his faith—but remained what we would call a sympathetic agnosticism.
My mother is very caring and imbued all her children with strong ethical views. I remember her telling us that as children of a banker we were very privileged and we owed it to society to give something back. My mother always felt very strongly about that and remains that way to this day – I also retain that from her.
Her dad was a bishop and she was raised a Christian. Her faith sustained her after my father’s death [age 72—actually 74 according to Mosley above]. She is very involved in the church and keeps busy with her 12 grandkids.
My maternal grandmother Elizabeth Stewart lived in China with her father and then moved back to England when he retired. She was a feisty lady and died when I was about nine. Having lived in China and Hong Kong in her adult life, she picked up all sorts of malaria type diseases and it affected her health. I saw her as somebody with a very strong faith…
I come from a long line of missionaries but the closest I get to religion is incorporating fasting in my diet. Fasting is popular in most religions. I am agnostic and ever curious but a non-believer – I lost my faith while studying philosophy.
Mosley’s great-grandfather Robert Stewart was a member of the land-owning classes from Dublin, and was set to be a respectable lawyer when he had a dramatic conversion. He became a CMS missionary in China and was martyred.
On 1 August 1895, he was brutally murdered in Kucheng Hwasang by a sect known as the Vegetarians during the Kucheng Massacre, together with his wife and two children and seven other missionaries connected with the Church Missionary Society or the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society.
His son, Mosley’s maternal grandfather, Arthur Dudley Stewart, had been left in England and was deeply affected by his parents’ death.
In 1882, the Stewarts went on furlough, and when they returned to China, Arthur and two young brothers were left in the care of their grandfather, Mr. J.R. Stewart of Gortletteragh, Dunlaoghaire. Here Arthur was brought up, except that, when his parents returned to furlough, he and the other children joined them in England and the family was reunited for a few months. Later the three boys went to Haileybury. When Arthur was sixteen, his parents returned to China for the fourth and last time, taking with them the five younger children.
Then came the unfortunate tragedy of the uprising of the Chinese party, known to foreigners as ‘the vegetarians’. This was a semi-political party, whose aim was mainly anti-government, but partly anti-foreign. This party had few, if any, branches outside the province of Fujian; and even there was not taken seriously either by the authority or by the foreigners. All foreigners were called in to Fuzhou, but after a couple months the provincial governor declared that all trouble was over, and a number of missionaries left the city for a brief holiday. On 1 August 1895, a party of ‘Vegetarians’ attacked and killed fifteen including Mr and Mrs Stewart and two of their children. The event is known as the Kucheng massacre.
The tragedy of his parents’ death left a deep impression on Arthur. From an early age, he had contemplated on ministry with a possible view to later going out to the mission field, but the loss of his parents made him determined to carry on the work which had been interrupted by their untimely deaths. It would seem that he influenced other members of his family, since four followed his examples at various times.
This explains why Mosley was sent to Haileybury, but also why he might have had a strong sense of call to ordained ministry himself—even though Arthur died just seven months after Michael was born.
Despite having lost his own faith, the legacy clearly left a mark on Michael. He had been persuaded by his father to follow him into banking, but after two years decided that he was much more interested in people. He trained for medicine at Royal Free Hospital in London, where he met his wife Clare in their first term. (She offers a hilarious account of their courtship here.)
For me Christmas is a great excuse to meet with friends and family, exchange presents and eat and drink too much — but I also love the fact that we sing carols, go to church and reflect on God. I come from a long line of Christian missionaries, some of whom lost their lives in pursuit of their faith, although I must confess that I am an agnostic. But I do believe that the great religions have a lot to teach us about how to live a good and longer life. And there is plenty of scientific evidence to back this up.
For example, back in 1999 researchers at the University of Colorado looked at data collected from 28,000 people as part of the National Health Interview Survey – which has been monitoring the health of Americans since 1957. As part of that survey participants were asked if they attended any sort of religious service and if so, how often. It turned out that people who said they went to a church, mosque or synagogue at least once a week lived, on average, seven years longer than those who said they never went.
A more recent study, published in 2018 with the rather wonderful title, ‘Does Religion Stave Off the Grave?’, researchers at Ohio State university trawled through the obituaries of more than 1,000 people published on newspaper websites between August 2010 and August 2011. They found that the people whose obituaries mentioned they had some form of religious affiliation lived an average of 5.64 years longer than those whose did not.
In all that he did, it was clear that his mother’s instruction that ‘we were very privileged and we owed it to society to give something back’ shaped his work profoundly. Having researched intermittent fasting and tried it himself, he was genuinely astonished at the success of his publications on the 5:2 diet, then 16:8 fasting, and his blood-sugar diet (on many of his books, he worked in partnership with Clare).
Those who knew him were struck by his personal humility, cheerfulness, and genuine interest in others. One of his rather unusual habits was being willing to be a guinea pig himself for the research he was investigating.
Although he said that his wife had vetoed “the idea of infesting myself with pubic lice”, he consumed tapeworm eggs for the BBC documentary “Infested!”, ate a black pudding made with his own blood for “The Wonderful World of Blood”, and swallowed a camera for “Inside the Human Body”, giving viewers “a never-to-be-forgotten close-up of his inner workings”.
We pray earnestly for his family in their grief and loss, especially for Clare his wife, and for Joan his mother (who continues to be active in her church in Bournemouth). And we hope and pray that Michael, realising that was facing death, might have remembered the faith of his youth.
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Thank you for this. We are on a neighbouring island and a tourist got lost on the very same day. Fortunately, he was found after a four hour search and there are now notices all over the place advising walkers to be careful and to take sensible precautions. It is still nearly 40 degrees.
It seems strange that MM was so foolhardy in the heat, but of course he was found very near that bar. I was surprised also by how upset I am by his death, partly because he advocated such healthy plans for living, but also because he seemed so genuinely happy and eager to help. Such an interesting back story. I hope his family find peace.
Gosh, so not uncommon.
I can only think that his characteristic restlessness (which was perhaps part of his insomnia) made him want to go for a walk, and he was just not attuned to the dangers.
Yes, he seemed someone who was genuinely and deeply happy—but also committed to helping others.
There seems to be a spate of tourists missing on Greek islands. A Dutch chap was also found dead on another island. I forget which one.
It is far too hot to walk far. But I have to admit that a few years ago, we used to go on hikes in this heat.
It’s very sad that he didn’t have his phone.
Coverage?
Sorry?
Carrying his mobile phone would have made no difference if there was no coverage (i.e. reception). You are in a position to answer how good that is in remote parts of remote Greek islands – hence my question mark.
Ah, thank you. Coverage can be very good, but it can be patchy. I understand that, even if you don’t have a signal, you can be located from your last signal. Not 100% accurate but helpful. I think that’s how the hiker here was located. Of course, locals know the terrain well and are indefatigable.
Nice work, Ian. He was a great presenter, his death such a shock, and this backstory gives insight into the origin of his care for others.
Thanks. He was, despite actually being personally quite shy—and having started in production.
Thank you, this is so interesting. It was such a strange, strange thing to happen: one almost believes that there were ‘other powers’ at work but I’d be at a loss to say what I mean by that.
Thanks Ian, a fascinating if ultimately sad (as far as we know) story. A Christian friend of ours taught at Haileybury for many years – I wonder if Michael was one of his pupils?
BTW I’d love to see a video of you walking your dog backwards
The English are not eccentric at all!
That our eyes point forwards (arguably even defining ‘forwards’) might be a hint about which direction to walk in. Walking backwards is supposed to be good for the back, but not if you have to bend your neck regularly to ensure you are not about to walk off a cliff.
His dietary suggestions were great.
Walking backwards is actually very good for your knees and for your leg muscles.
Did I deny it, Ian?! But it is lousy for the neck and liable to qualify you for a Darwin award.
Marvin Hagler used to run backwards while training for his boxing matches.
Emlyn, only if he taught there from 1964 to 1975…
Which of you wears the dog collar?
I felt the same when Michael was missing – I have no idea why, he always seemed to be such a positive presence in the world, I think.
I got heat stroke when we were driving to our holiday on one of the hottest days of the year. I had I idea how ill I felt until we stopped for a break. I couldn’t even walk from the petrol station forecourt to the shop. Fortunately, I was able to rehydrate and carry on with the journey. So I wonder if his lack of precautions and his getting lost were all the result of the heat.
Yes, I am sure they were. He will have had his judgement impaired which led to several wrong decisions. But the tragedy is that he was so close to help.
In my 20s I took a taxi to a remote spot on Cephalonia and walked back. I had to pass feral pigs in 40°, no hat, no shade. It would certainly finish me off now I’m 67.
Hmm… Cephalus and Cochons again.
Isn’t it strange that the N.T. hardly mentions how to look after one’s self – except to take a little wine – every now and then.
Thank you for this. I often wonder how many people, facing their imminent death in a range of circumstances from a smart holiday on a Greek island to a brutal end in a war zone, call out to God like the dying thief and find assurance in their final seconds.
Thank you Ian, for this piece. I too felt unusually saddened by news of his death and how close he was to help. You and I don’t believe in righteousness by works, I know, but Michael Mosley was a man whose professional life was clearly marked by a deep concern for others. He just seemed thoroughly decent. I’m grateful he committed his thinking to paper – we’re better off as a result.
A heartfelt and moving tribute to MM! You referenced your practice of his exercise recommendations while you were with us.
We are praying for those in continental Europe and the eastern United States facing this present heatwave. In contrast to Colorado’s typical “weather-related oddities,” our weather has remained quite stable and mild for this time of year.
May the Lord bless you, Maggie and your family!
On the Christian martyrs in China I am reminded of
Jean Sophia Pigott (1845–1882) who was a Christian poet and hymn lyricist in Ireland.
Biography
Born in Leixlip, Ireland, Jean Sophia Pigott was the sister to China missionary William Frederick Pigott, who joined the ministry of Hudson Taylor who headed the China Inland Mission. It is believed that William introduced Jean’s hymns to the leader of the Mission.[1][2][3] Her brother Thomas Wellesley Pigott also served as a CIM missionary and was executed with his family in the Taiyuan massacre.[4]
According to Hendry, Taylor particularly enjoyed Jean Pigott’s hymn, Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting, and he adopted it as his personal “life song.” He was even said to have whistled that tune during the stressful time of the kidnapping and murder of Jean’s brother William Pigott and 76 of his fellow missionaries, during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China.[3]
Jean was a published poet from a young age and by the age of 35, she had authored a book of her verses called “A Royal Service.” The lyrics to her most famous poem and hymn, Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting, were first traced to that work.[3]
Jean Sophia Pigott died at 37 on 12 October 1882 in Leixlip, County Kildare, where she is buried.[2]
1 Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
as thy beauty fills my soul,
for by thy transforming power,
thou hast made me whole.
Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
2 O how great thy lovingkindness,
vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
know what wealth of grace is thine,
know thy certainty of promise
and have made it mine. [Refrain]
3 Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold thee as thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
satisfies its deepest longings,
meets, supplies its ev’ry need,
compasseth me round with blessings:
thine is love indeed. [Refrain]
4 Ever lift thy face upon me
as I work and wait for thee;
resting ‘neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
sunshine of my Father’s face,
keep me ever trusting, resting,
fill me with thy grace. [Refrain]
Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #479
Hi Steve {June 19, 2024 at 5:42 pm}
“Isn’t it strange that the N.T. hardly mentions how to look after one’s self – except to take a little wine – every now and then.” [St. Paul]
Paul did remark on bodily and spiritual health:-
“But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. {1Tim. 4 vs.7&8}
Perhaps we need similar teachers to exhort us to focus on the health of our souls and our eternal welfare. How to pursue holiness [without which no one shall see the Lord]and Charity.
Exactly so.
And, I’ll add, Although I don’t smoke or drink much The thing I admire about CS Lewis was the fact he did both smoke and drink.
Better still, the respect I have for Christians whose long term health has been compromised by their faithfulness.
I have had ‘transient loss of awareness’ while driving, in this country, due to heat, dehydration and immobility. Wasn’t using the air conditioning! Overshot at junctions a few times; reported it to doctor and DVLA. Off driving for 8 months; now got licence back as all screening was normal. I think it gives me awareness of what Michael Mosley was going through. Such a shame and so sad for his wife, mother and other family members.
Thank you for this interesting information. I think in some way we all feel like we knew MM as a friend and trusted advisor. His manner was always so very relaxed and kind. May God in His mercy welcome this eternal soul into His Kingdom. I pray that at some point or in some way MM had acknowledged the supreme gift of our Heavenly Father in making a way through His Son Jesus. Sending peace, love and prayers for His family and close friends. In his search for knowledge and wisdom and truth, Michael leaves a great legacy for the world. With gratitude and respect.
Thank you for this moving tribute. Life is fragile and precious. May God comfort his obviously much loved family.
Is that nee Pip Priston I have not seen you for over 40 years. After exchanging Christmas cards with Sue Durrant over the last 35 years, I met up with her and Debs Grills in London in March…Sue explained that you and your husband have been at Beckington until relatively recently…I live with my wife Kate about 5 miles from there. Hope life has treated you well…and if you want catch up , do get in touch….All the best, Rob Pickard
All the way from South Australia I can confirm the body blow that Michael’s death brought to us and our friends.
We followed every bit of “Breaking News” over the long search period and while we came to suspect that it would end in tragedy we were devastated to the point of tears when our fears were realised.
Do any readers think that he might have survived had he drunk plenty of water on the way?
…which shows his impact.
Yes, but it is not clear that he had taken water with him. He was expecting a short walk back to the village along a road.
Thank you for this Ian. I was diagnosed Type2 Diabetes, and read his book on ‘The Blood Sugar Diet’. Through diet and exercise I got my sugar levels back to normal for the past 6 years! I am forever grateful to him for his book.
Thank you very much, Ian. A wonderful tribute to Michael Mosley, and echoing the prayer at the end of your piece.
A very interesting backstory mainstream media choses to evade.
Has the whole story been uncovered I wonder?
Do we really know what a thorough post-mortem revealed.
He was a great advocate of Covid 19 ‘vaccination’, was his death a sequelae of that?
I have known (and buried) individuals who while apparently fit, have died inexplicably suddenly or of strange medical conditions.
Retired Dental Surgeon and Assistant Minister
Yes it is an interesting backstory.
He died of being in 40-degree hear with no shade, no phone, and no water. There is no mystery there. It happens to people every year in the Greek Islands
There are so many mysteries surrounding Michael’s death on Symi that a book as long as his Blood Sugar Diet could be written about it ! So many unanswered questions – He was clearly no fool, but somehow he appears to have so many errors of judgement in his last hours that you find yourself asking why? Why for instance did he walk right past a Taverna in Pedi where an ice-cold cabinet full of drinks was clearly on display? Did he have no money ?
Yes, it is a mystery. But he was by nature adventurous and risk taking.