Silvio Garattini, 98-year-old oncologist: "A government seems more interested in producing cancer than patients"

The prestigious oncologist Silvio Garattini is one of the most veteran voices who never stop raising awareness about the importance of leading a good quality life to reach old age in the best possible condition. On the occasion of his 98th birthday, Garattini recently participated in the program La volta buona on Italian public television (Rai), where he pointed out that "there is never just one factor" for a healthy life, and also shared his habits.

"I have a good breakfast, I eat very little at midday and I have something light at night," he explained. The quantities are not excessive, Garattini warns, indicating that his diet is "modest", since he weighs 52 kilos.

For the founder and president of the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute, it is essential to take into account the amount of food we eat. "You can eat in the best way possible, but if you eat too much, you will gain weight. There is no magic: centenarians who eat what they want are the exception. Most people die earlier; that is not the norm," he expressed.

In Garattini's words, "there is no single element that can increase life expectancy," since "it depends on many factors." It was at this point that he put on the table the worst habits that contribute to reducing life expectancy and that a good part of the population practices, to a greater or lesser extent.

"We suffer from too many dependencies, such as tobacco and alcohol. In Italy it is difficult to say, but wine is carcinogenic," he points out, as well as dependence on drugs and gambling. To this he has added the excessive consumption of cured meats and sausages, which represents a "group 1" risk factor for colon cancer.

Likewise, Garattini has focused on how economic interests come before the public health of citizens, for example in the advertising field, and has called for more restrictive measures. "For all these things, in Italy there is, with the exception of cigarettes, excessive and continuous advertising. The government seems to be more interested in producing cancer than in ensuring the interest of patients. We must change this thinking: there should be no advertising for products that cause cancer or that cause diseases," says Garattini.

Faced with these bad habits, the researcher maintains that "to prolong life by staying in good condition" physical activity is essential, "as is sleep, which 'cleans' the brain twice as fast at night."