Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

What I see a lot of in medicine is us trying to give public health advice to people saying, look, too much alcohol, frankly, a little bit of alcohol is probably not helping you that much. And the way we'll try and facilitate change is by giving people more knowledge and more information, right? You know, too much alcohol will damage your liver. It's not good for your weight.

It's not good for your sleep architecture, whatever it might be. And that can be helpful up to a point. But I submit that most people who are trying to cut back on alcohol or cut it out completely, and you can substitute alcohol for sugar or online pornography or gambling or whatever you want, basically, it's a behaviour.

It's not good for your sleep architecture, whatever it might be. And that can be helpful up to a point. But I submit that most people who are trying to cut back on alcohol or cut it out completely, and you can substitute alcohol for sugar or online pornography or gambling or whatever you want, basically, it's a behaviour.

It's not good for your sleep architecture, whatever it might be. And that can be helpful up to a point. But I submit that most people who are trying to cut back on alcohol or cut it out completely, and you can substitute alcohol for sugar or online pornography or gambling or whatever you want, basically, it's a behaviour.

What a lot of people who are trying to do that, they already know the damage that that is causing for them. Not everyone, but a lot of them do. What they're not understanding is why do they keep going to that behaviour? So instead of every January, for example, buying the new book on the alcohol detox or the sugar detox...

What a lot of people who are trying to do that, they already know the damage that that is causing for them. Not everyone, but a lot of them do. What they're not understanding is why do they keep going to that behaviour? So instead of every January, for example, buying the new book on the alcohol detox or the sugar detox...

What a lot of people who are trying to do that, they already know the damage that that is causing for them. Not everyone, but a lot of them do. What they're not understanding is why do they keep going to that behaviour? So instead of every January, for example, buying the new book on the alcohol detox or the sugar detox...

Anyone, Chris, can stop a behaviour for three or four weeks and they think that they're getting somewhere. But they're often not getting somewhere because that behaviour was there for a reason. So very simply, if you're drinking alcohol to manage the stress in your life, which many people do, then you can white knuckle it for four weeks and quit.

Anyone, Chris, can stop a behaviour for three or four weeks and they think that they're getting somewhere. But they're often not getting somewhere because that behaviour was there for a reason. So very simply, if you're drinking alcohol to manage the stress in your life, which many people do, then you can white knuckle it for four weeks and quit.

Anyone, Chris, can stop a behaviour for three or four weeks and they think that they're getting somewhere. But they're often not getting somewhere because that behaviour was there for a reason. So very simply, if you're drinking alcohol to manage the stress in your life, which many people do, then you can white knuckle it for four weeks and quit.

but usually you'll end up back to where you were unless one of two things has happened. Either the stress in your life has to come down, so you have less of a need therefore for the alcohol, or you need to find an alternative behavior to alcohol to manage the stress.

but usually you'll end up back to where you were unless one of two things has happened. Either the stress in your life has to come down, so you have less of a need therefore for the alcohol, or you need to find an alternative behavior to alcohol to manage the stress.

but usually you'll end up back to where you were unless one of two things has happened. Either the stress in your life has to come down, so you have less of a need therefore for the alcohol, or you need to find an alternative behavior to alcohol to manage the stress.

When I put it like that, it sounds really, really simple and obvious, but I genuinely believe that when we think about behavior change, too much of it is about more and more external knowledge, right? But I think what we all need is more internal knowledge. And your first question to me was about reliances, right?

When I put it like that, it sounds really, really simple and obvious, but I genuinely believe that when we think about behavior change, too much of it is about more and more external knowledge, right? But I think what we all need is more internal knowledge. And your first question to me was about reliances, right?

When I put it like that, it sounds really, really simple and obvious, but I genuinely believe that when we think about behavior change, too much of it is about more and more external knowledge, right? But I think what we all need is more internal knowledge. And your first question to me was about reliances, right?

And I said about a lot of these everyday reliances that people have, which are tying them down. In this new book, what I've done is go through some bigger picture reliances, right? So chapter one, I think it's one of the most important chapters I've ever written. It's called Trust Yourself. And I talk about this over-reliance on experts. Right.

And I said about a lot of these everyday reliances that people have, which are tying them down. In this new book, what I've done is go through some bigger picture reliances, right? So chapter one, I think it's one of the most important chapters I've ever written. It's called Trust Yourself. And I talk about this over-reliance on experts. Right.

And I said about a lot of these everyday reliances that people have, which are tying them down. In this new book, what I've done is go through some bigger picture reliances, right? So chapter one, I think it's one of the most important chapters I've ever written. It's called Trust Yourself. And I talk about this over-reliance on experts. Right.

So if I could just elaborate, I think it's a really interesting point. You and me, Chris, we both host podcasts. Right. And we talk to a lot of experts. Right. And they give their advice. Now, I don't know if you found this, Chris, but what I would find and I do find on my podcast is one week I could talk to, let's say, a medical doctor from Harvard Medical School. Right.