If you want to add healthy years to your life, a respected scientist says there's a surprisingly simple and easy-to-follow rule to follow at the dinner table. Silvio Garattini — a 97‑year‑old oncologist and pharmacologist — believes eating less could be key to longevity and staying healthy into old age.

Garattini is founder of the Mario Negri Institute in Bergamo, Italy, and has spent decades studying disease and ageing, so his words carry weight. In an interview with Men’s Health, he made a striking claim: “If you eat 30% less, you live 20% longer,” pointing to calorie moderation as a cornerstone of long life.

He stresses that good lifestyle habits don’t just benefit individuals, they ease pressure on families and health systems, too, because many chronic diseases are linked to poor diet and inactivity. According to the World Health Organization, unhealthy diets contribute to millions of deaths globally each year, largely through heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

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When it comes to his own plate, however, Garattini follows what decades of research supports: eat a balanced diet rich in varied nutrients but don’t overeat. "Varied means eating a bit of everything to obtain the micro and macronutrients we need," he says, and research suggests diversity in plant‑based foods is linked with lower disease risk.

Moderation is just as important, he insists. Ageing Research Reviews claims calorie restriction without malnutrition has been shown to improve markers of ageing and extend lifespan in multiple animal species and is being studied in humans too.

Garattini is also a staunch advocate for the Mediterranean diet, a pattern high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and lower in red meat and saturated fat. Studies show that people who follow the Mediterranean diet more closely tend to have a lower risk of heart disease and are likely to live longer. A study in The British Journal of Nutrition found that the more strictly people stick to this diet, the lower their risk of dying from any cause.

And despite trends like intermittent fasting, Garattini says it’s not about when you eat — it’s how much you consume overall. "Some research showed no difference between those who ate freely and those who waited 10 to 12 hours between meals," he told interviewers, adding: "What matters is eating little."

Whether you prefer three meals or five, the take‑home is moderation and nutrient quality, not meal timing. As the NHSnotes, eating a balanced diet and keeping calorie intake in check are proven ways to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and support healthy ageing.