About this episode

Ezekiel Emanuel discusses the importance of social connection for health and happiness, and the need for intentional retirement design.

The wellness industry has a problem, and Ezekiel Emanuel is one of the few people willing to call it out. In his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: A Contrarian’s Guide to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier , the bioethicist, oncologist, and former White House health advisor challenges both the influencers selling unproven supplements and the culture of wellness-as-self-punishment. In this episode, Emanuel makes a compelling research-backed case that the single most powerful determinant of health, longevity, and happiness is social connection, not sleep scores, protein intake, or VO2 max. Drawing on the Harvard Adult Development Study, the longitudinal study, going strong after 88 years, and other research worldwide, he explains why loneliness is biologically dangerous, and why doctors almost never ask about it. He also makes important points about retirement. When 40 hours of purposeful work becomes 40 hours of passive television, the brain pays a price. Emanuel argues that retirement requires deliberate design to replace the cognitive challenge, social contact, and structured schedule that work once provided. And he offers Ben Franklin, inventor of bifocals at 79, and still…

People in this episode

Host: Retirement Wisdom

Guest: Ezekiel Emanuel

Topics covered

• wellness industry
• social connection
• retirement design
• health and longevity
• cognitive challenge

Keywords

• wellness
• loneliness
• health
• retirement
• social contact
• cognitive challenge
• Ezekiel Emanuel

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Adult Development Study

Books & works: Eat Your Ice Cream: A Contrarian’s Guide to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier

Places: Washington, DC

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