The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

Sick As A Dog: Animal & Human Health – Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz

The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast. I’m Paul Vogelzang, and today’s show is part of our Smithsonian Associates Art of Living Interview series.

 

Thank you so much for listening.  We’ve got a great returning guest today, whom I’ll introduce in just a moment…But, quickly, if you missed any episodes, last week was our 671st episode, and I spoke to Smithsonian Associate and author, historian, and educator Clay Jenkinson about The Future of the US Constitution. Two weeks ago in another great interview, I spoke to Pulitzer-prize-winning author Stacy Schiff about her new book titled “The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams.”   Wonderful stuff…If you missed those shows, along with any others, you can go back and check them out with my entire back-catalog of shows, all free for you there on our website, NotOld-Better.com…and if you leave a review, we will read it at the end of each show…leave reviews on Apple Podcasts for us.

What do you call a veterinarian that can only take care of one species? A physician.  As you just heard from our guest today, Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, who is a physician, who’ll share how a species-spanning approach to health can improve the medical care of the human-animal — particularly when it comes to mental health.  Dr. Natterson-Horowitz is co-author of the amazing book and creator of the TV series, Zoobiquity. Zoobiquity explored how animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and heal patients of all species. 

Infertility, lung cancer, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, heart attacks, and PTSD are common in humans, but they are not uniquely human disorders. Concerns about the diseases associated with animals have encouraged researchers around the world to try to bridge the gap between animal and human medicine. Drawing on the latest in medical and veterinary science—as well as evolutionary and molecular biology—it’s now understood that animals and humans suffer from many of the same health problems. Practitioners and researchers are actively comparing the human and veterinary approaches to shared ailments and transforming medical practices and research in the process.

Through observation and research studying animals in natural settings, cardiologist and evolutionary biologist and Smithsonian Associate Barbara Natterson-Horowitz has uncovered evolved adaptations for some of these conditions. She explores how our vulnerability to illnesses has its roots in our ancient evolutionary past and how understanding physical and mental illness in wild animals—from depression and self-harm to cardiac disease—has the potential to make us physically and mentally healthier humans.  Barbara Natterson-Horowitz will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates via zoom very soon, but we’ve got Dr. Natterson-Horowitz today to answer our questions and give you a glimpse into her upcoming presentation at Smithsonian Associates, titled:  “It’s Possible to Be Sick as a Dog: Linking Human and Animal Health”

My thanks to Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz.  Dr. Natterson-Horowitz will be presenting at the Smithsonian Associates via Zoom coming up, and the title of Dr. Natterson-Horowitz’s presentation at Smithsonian Associates is  “It’s Possible to Be Sick as a Dog: Linking Human and Animal Health”   Please check our website for more details.   My thanks to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show.  My thanks to you, my wonderful Not Old Better Show audience on radio and podcast.  Please be well, and be safe, which I’m telling you each show, followed by my message to eliminate assault rifles. Only members of the military use these weapons.  Assault rifles are killing our children and grandchildren in the very places they learn: school.  Let’s do better.  Let’s talk about better.  The Not Old Better Show Art of Living interview series on radio and podcast.  Thanks, everybody, and we’ll see you next week. 

Smithsonian Associates site details:  https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/255235