Get a microlife

I went to see my GP last week (routine check – no drama) and he talked about ‘microlives’.  Fascinated, I went back to do my research – a Professor of Biostatistics (!) David Spiegehalter, suggests that we could divide our lives into 30 minute segments, or microlives and that 57 years contains 1M microlives.  He also has come up with a currency of microlives.  So, just one alcoholic drink ‘gives’ you a microlife, but smoking takes away 10 microlives for every 20 cigarettes smoked.  You will be delighted to know that 20 minutes of moderate exercise will give you 2 microlives, but that an extra two alcoholic drinks can take away a microlife.  Good news – a diet including fresh fruit and veg, - 4 microlives (I am guessing every day).

I could go on – but the principle is important – maybe not the detail.  The research is simply saying that eating healthily, not smoking, keeping alcohol intake low and exercising will increase your life expectancy (and a combination may well improve your quality of life as well), guess we already knew that – but I like the idea of microlives – they seem quite real to me!