Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist

Subject: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 12:39 PM

I've looked into the work of Dr. Mosley on several occasions and we sometimes will see UK programs on the PBS channels here. I think he managed that delicate balance of "popular" yet still credible.

From the New York Times
British TV Doctor Michael Mosley Found Dead in Greece
Dr. Mosley, a British medical journalist and documentary maker, disappeared last week while on a trip on the Greek island of Symi.

Dr. Mosley, 67, a BBC journalist, had arrived on Tuesday on Symi, part of the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea, for a weeklong trip. He told friends at Agios Nikolaos beach on Wednesday afternoon that he would walk back to his accommodation in Symi town, the local authorities said.

The walk is about two miles, depending on the route taken. When hours had passed with no sign of Dr. Mosley, his wife, Clare Bailey Mosley, reported him missing to the police.

Further down the article:

Over the years, many British viewers relied on Dr. Mosley, a longtime investigator of science and health, for his myth-busting advice on diet, exercise and sleep. Trained as a doctor before venturing into television, Dr. Mosley hosted the popular BBC health podcast “Just One Thing” and appeared on the show “Trust Me, I’m A Doctor.”

He produced a variety of health and science programs for the broadcaster, and often offered himself up for experimentation in the documentaries he presented. He swallowed parasites and trialed magic mushrooms, but he was most widely known for popularizing the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting that involves five days of normal eating and two days of fasting each week.

He was nominated in 2002 for an Emmy for “The Human Face,” a series examining the science behind beauty.

More recently, he had released two series with the British Channel 4 broadcaster investigating obesity in Britain and the nutrition behind the grocery shopping of everyday consumers. He had toured Britain this year with his wife, also a doctor and health columnist, with an interactive live show focused on healthy living.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 12:46 PM

For most people the Guardian won't be behind a paywall:

Dr Michael Mosley obituary
Popular celebrity medic who offered health advice to millions through his TV and radio roles, most notably on fasting

One part of this obit:

He opted instead to exert influence through the medium of television, joining the BBC training scheme as an assistant producer in 1985, and going on to produce documentaries based mostly in science, mathematics and history.

His most glorious moment arguably came with the Horizon programme Ulcer Wars, which he made in 1994 about the work of Barry Marshall of the University of Western Australia, who was convinced that the bacteria he had identified called Helicobacter pylori was responsible for most gastric cancers and ulcers.

The story appealed to Mosley and inspired his own self-experimentation: Marshall had drunk a solution of H pylori from a beaker in the 1980s and his stomach had been colonised by the bacteria, which disappeared when he took antibiotics.

Marshall was right and later, with his colleague Robin Warren, won a Nobel prize. Mosley received more than 20,000 letters from people cured of their ulcer pain by antibiotics. The film brought him awards. “I probably did, in a funny way, more good with that one programme than if I had stayed in medicine for 30 years,” said Mosley in the BMJ.

Google News has many more stories.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 01:14 PM

Thanks Stilly. We have had news articles here in Oz too.

I have watched every show presented by Dr Mosley that I could find on TV because he is. sorry, was scientific, analytical, usually illustrated medical issues with scientists and scientific experiments, but presented every show in a friendly, people-centred, often humourous way. He was a strong advocate of healthy eating. He presented two shows in Australia recently, Australia's Health Revolution, and Australia's
Sleep Revolution.

Clare Bailey Mosley pays tribute to 'wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant' husband Michael Mosley, found dead on Greek Island after search

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 10:50 PM

It’s especially tragic when he was found apparently a few yards from help and safety, lying behind a wall with his head on a rock. No doubt the investigations will reveal the most likely scenario but, on early reports, I can’t help but suspect that some kind of accident befell him.

Whatever the circumstances, a very sad end for a well-respected and much-loved man and personality.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: The Sandman
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 04:38 AM

Tragic.
The circumstances are reminiscent of the death of Robin Cook [for our USA members, a former uk foreign secretary ]

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: robomatic
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 04:26 PM

I think it was only a couple of days ago when I read about the doctor going missing and there were some overhead photographs of what appeared to be an expanse of large rocks which to me had ample opportunity for someone to fall, get knocked about and damn near disappear with no contribution from anything other than gravity. Very sad result.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 04:35 PM

Reported on BBC News tonight that Dr. Mosley’s autopsy had determined death was due to ‘natural causes’.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 05:48 PM

BWM, thanks for the update on the autopsy. When Dr Mosley was missing I was thinking terrible thoughts that he had been kidnapped, based on the assumption that it would be hard to just get lost on such a small island, although having seen the TV footage I have seen the hazardous terrain. My other thought was that he had fallen into the sea.

One of our Oz TV channels, SBS TV, made a documentary series earlier this year called Australia's Sleep Revolution and they are repeating the broadcast, starting last night. It's difficult to watch Dr Mosley being his usual intelligent, friendly, empathetic, knowledgeable self while now knowing that he has passed away tragically.

I have been a consistent fan of his TV shows over many years and I have tried some of the medical and health options he has discussed and studied with good success, so I am finding it very personal knowing that he is gone.

Someone who was interviewed on the news last night made a comment that many of the people who came to Dr Mosley's live shows didn't come to buy his books but to say thank you for dramatically improving their lives. I would be in that category.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 06:08 PM

On the island of Symi the temperatures reached as high as 40 degrees Celsius at 3pm local time on Wednesday. Local people, like Australians, may have been more aware of personal safety in such a high temperature, but I keep thinking of that old Noel Coward song Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Go Out in the Midday Sun). No disrespect intended.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Jun 24 - 11:06 PM

2 hours ago ABC Sydney radio replayed a talk (c. 2018??) with Dr Moseley but it is not yet up on the program page but will be soon# - Conversations with Richard Fidler - Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may, or may not, have heard about — someone who has seen and done amazing things.

soon# = sometime before tomorrow's program

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 11 Jun 24 - 01:17 AM

Thanks Sandra! I just listened to the programme on the radio. It was excellent.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Jun 24 - 06:54 AM

posted within 2 hours of the broadcast.

"Conversations" is repeated on Radio National & is an excellent program.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael 's - UK physician/journalist
From: robomatic
Date: 13 Jun 24 - 01:45 PM

I had no knowledge of Dr. Mosley, and I did think in passing of the Noel Coward song, with no denigrations intended.
We have an outdoor race in Alaska every July 4th. It is to go to the top of a local mountain and down as fast as possible. In at least once case one of the participants has yet to be found. There are hundreds of abrasions.
I do not know how it compares to the English love of chasing a rolling cheese .

I'll probably find the BBC's production regarding Dr. Mosley and listen to it. He sounds like a useful and interesting person who is already being missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 13 Jun 24 - 05:31 PM

Further reports from Greece suggest that while no exact cause of death can be established, ("Natural causes" being far from exact), it is probable that he died from heat exhaustion. Although he was seen to fall on CCTV, there were no signs of substantial injury at autopsy.
And yes, I couldn't help but think of that Noel Coward song too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 13 Jun 24 - 05:56 PM

Being an Aussie and thinking of the Noel Coward song, I fully expected to be told I was being disrespectful, so I am comforted by knowing that you both also thought of it, robomatic and Tattie Bogle.

Extreme weather can be dangerous, and one of the traits I admired in Dr Mosley was his bravery in trying medical experiments on TV, but it may also have contributed to his demise when he chose to go for a walk just after midday in extreme heat. He may have underestimated the danger.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Jun 24 - 01:49 PM

I am discovering that as I age into the same realm as the Doctor, my body does not cash the checks that my would-be younger mind makes. We've just come through a winter that taxed not just me but many of us denizens of the north. There were many falls. And a fall isn't as easy to dismiss as when our bones were even a few years younger. furthermore, falls are not fun to witness. Just trying to run past a dog inside my friends' house, I pranged my leg on a piece of furniture which resulted in months of limping and internal pain to this day.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 14 Jun 24 - 04:25 PM

Unfortunately, robomatic, I have had two falls in the last year, with the second one resulting in a broken arm, and probably caused by the first fall with severe shock to my knees and two months of pain, leg weakness and difficulty walking. A year after the first fall and seven months after the second I'm almost back to normal but I am more aware that normal for someone in their late 60's is not as good as it was even just 10 years before.

The verdict from the autopsy implies that Dr Mosley may have fallen while walking on the rocky, hilly slope and that he had lost his way while trying to go back to where he was staying which could, in my inexpert opinion, have something to do with the extreme heat making it difficult for him to think clearly. I am also assuming that most of the locals would have been sheltering indoors or even having a siesta and there would have been very few local people outside to witness the events or to help in an emergency.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 14 Jun 24 - 11:24 PM

I just read this article in our local paper. Luckily it is also online.

Michael Mosley reportedly died from heat exhaustion. How can extreme heat turn deadly?

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Jun 24 - 04:31 PM

Very easily. It explains it quite well in your link. It can happen even in the UK, as when soldiers in training are forced to carry heavy loads during a rather un-British heatwave, as happened in 2013 on the Brecon Beacons in South Wales: 3 of them died on a 16-mile trek.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: Helen
Date: 16 Jun 24 - 05:03 PM

When I worked at the local city council, there was a work health and safety rule for the outdoor workers e.g. road workers, parks and gardens workers etc, that if the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius which is approximately 104 degrees Fahrenheit they were told to work indoors at the workshop. Most of Australia has high temperatures at some time during the summer so we have a higher temperature tolerance. The tolerance for temperatures in places like the UK is at a lower threshold around 30 deg C (approx 90 deg F) which to most Aussies except perhaps in Tasmania would be considered to be a lovely summer day. It makes a difference for the level when heat stress kicks in, and it helps Aussies to be more aware of the dangers of heat stress.

On the other side of the coin, I would be extremely unprepared for the cold temperatures which are normal in the UK.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dr. Michael Mosley - UK physician/journalist
From: robomatic
Date: 16 Jun 24 - 06:19 PM

We are experiencing a, for us, sudden heat rise in our outdoor temperature. It is over 70 degrees F (about 21 C). I know this is not a big deal, but for many of us it is beyond what we have been habituated to for the last 9 months! My life is in no danger, and I am enjoying the outdoors, but I have been dog walking every day and when it was 10 degrees colder than it is now I was already sweating into my short sleeve shirt and also my eyes.

I can also speak for the dog. She has never indicated she feels cold, and that includes down to -10 F (about -20 C) But chasing after a ball in this atmosphere will result in long term panting and swimming in whatever fluids are out there. She's a lovely 25 Kilo black Lab and many local dogs are similarly adapted. Even some of the small cuties.