Elder Statements: Dr. Michael Roizen

The doctor was a regular on TV morning and talk shows long before he arrived at the Cleveland Clinic in 2005. The Buffalo, New York, native had made a name for himself as a wellness expert by developing the RealAge health-evaluation test — one that became more recognizable after he began co-authoring a series of best-selling health self-improvement books with Dr. Mehmet Oz. In addition to serving as chair of the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, Roizen hosts the weekly YOU: The Owner’s Manual Radio Show on radiomd.com.

My mission is really to get people living at their highest quality and change the health of the nation.

When I say something, people are more likely to change because of it. It isn’t being famous per se — it’s having the ability because of that to help more people.

Radio is easy for me. It’s fun. I get to ad lib. You can interact more with the host. 

I love it because I get to learn a ton. It forces me to stay up-to-date.

This is a crazy behavior, OK? I force myself to read 50 medical articles every week because I am so curious as to what’s happening. I’m a medical nerd in that sense.

I’ve never had days I wanted to quit medicine. I’ve had days where I feared I would be forced to quit because I couldn’t stay current enough or I wouldn’t have the technical skills to practice.

The biggest stress is always too much work for the available time.

When I get stressed out, I will either chew pens or eat more food. Neither one is a healthy habit.

The way I get around the eating more food is I eat celery and lettuce — I eat a lot of healthy food. 

Watching basketball is a total stress relief for me. You’re in the moment. You’re concentrating on the game.

“Can’t” is a four-letter word.

The only reason I have a long, happy marriage is my wife, Nancy.

I worry about decaying intellectually when I retire. 

If I have to die, I want to be struck by lightning. I want it to be instantaneous.

I am not afraid to die. I suppose the thing I am most afraid of is missing opportunities of living.