KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was recently treated for another bout of lower respiratory tract infection, is all charged up after receiving treatment and even had some words of advice on the secrets of longevity.
The 99-year-old, who has twice served as prime minister, said one had to be fortunate enough to avoid being inflicted with fatal diseases like cancer.
"If you're lucky and don't suffer from fatal diseases like cancer (then you have a chance).
"But after that one of the most important things is to avoid obesity...being fat is not very healthy."
On how he managed to handle a stress-filled life, Dr Mahathir - who professed to be a stickler for time, said keeping himself active had taken care of that.
"You also have to be active. If you do nothing and lie down all the time you don't survive very long," he said.
Dr M, as he is fondly known, said people should also remain active and use their brains all the time to remain functional.
"It's the same with your muscles...if you don't use them, they shrink."
Dr Mahathir said this in an impromptu interview with a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Prince Court Medical Centre Datuk Dr Ryan Ponnudurai on his Coffee with Ryan podcast, which also featured Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali.
The podcast was a reunion of sorts for the trio as Dr Mahathir was the person responsible for enticing Dr Ryan to remain in Malaysia when the latter was frustrated with bureaucracy from the Health Ministry upon returning to serve here from the United States.
Asked on his view of medicine today compared to when he served as a doctor at the beginning of his career in Alor Star, Dr Mahathir said everything has changed.
"Medicine has changed completely. Previously, when you treated a patient you took the history, examined the person physically and all that.
"Now they just take your blood, analyse it and they tell you what disease you have.
"I mean they don't even take off your shirt. Medicine is quite different now. Everything has changed but of course, we can't compare my time and present times."