BANGKOK: The world’s oldest leader, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 94, plans to reveal his secret to staying healthy in an upcoming tell-all, after being repeatedly asked to share tips during international conferences and dialogues.
“So many people ask me this question... I will write it down one day to explain to people. Not scientifically, as I do not do scientific examination; what I did was I observed what happened to me and what happened to other people, and I (made) my own conclusions.
“It is not scientific, not proven and not tested, but this is what I observed (in) the life I have,” he said, drawing applause from participants at a dialogue session at the Asean Business and Investment Summit 2019 here, today.
Dr Mahathir told participants that he stays fit by not overeating.
“First thing is do not overeat. Eat to live, not live to eat. That is very simple. When the food is nice, stop eating; that is my mother’s advice to me.
“When the food is tasty, stop eating. It is very difficult, but we have to develop the discipline,” he said.
The Prime Minister also advised the audience to exclude too much fatty food, carbohydrates and sugar from their diets.
He added that one must also stay active and exercise regularly to prevent muscle loss.
“’Active’ means the whole system – not just the muscles.
“If you use your brain all the time, you talk, think, argue, debate, quarrel – it activates the brain and it will function well. If it is not functioning well (when doing) certain things, do it over and over again. Whatever we do repeatedly, we will remember.
“If, after retirement, we rest and sleep, the brain as well as the body will lose their capacity,” he added. – Bernama