Stop optimizing your health and start campaigning against aging - Andrew Steele, Activist & Author

Health podcasts are probably shortening your life expectancy. Not just because of the health anxiety they create, but because that time could instead be spent writing a letter to your congressperson. Aging kills 85% of Americans, and the US spends $15-20 per person per year on cancer research but only $1 on aging biology. No amount of zone 2 and sauna are going to save you from that gap. I sat down with Andrew Steele, scientist, author of Ageless, and founder of the Longevity Initiative, to talk about closing it. His position: if he had $10M to spend on his own longevity, he'd spend every dollar on policy and communication, because that's where the leverage is. With health systems pushed to their limits and demographic crises looming, the time is right to organize against aging. Andrew is a phenomenal communicator, and played a huge role in inspiring me to start this podcast. You’re gonna love listening to him, and I highly recommend you follow him as well. Special thank you to Adam Gries and vitalismfoundation.org for hosting us at Vitalist Bay! 0:00 Intro 1:03 Andrew’s path into aging biology & activism, and publishing Ageless 8:28 Aging as the biggest driver of disease 12:10 The policy gap in addressing aging 20:57 How Andrew hopes his work will help us defeat aging 28:05 The case for increasing funding for aging research 37:12 Bryan Johnson & personal health optimization vs biotech progress 42:37 Why health podcasts are such a nerd snipe 49:27 Who will fund the solution for aging? 57:50 The Longevity Initiative 1:03:50 Andrew’s experience as a science communicator 1:09:53 How to measure progress in activism against aging 1:15:07 Will we solve aging?