If you are bamboozled by modern diet and exercise trends and struggle to know whether to take up intermittent fasting or a high protein Atkins-style diet, take heart.

The longstanding rules of moderation and a reasonably balanced diet alongside keeping physically active “still work”, England’s chief medical officer has said.

Launching his annual report, Professor Sir Chris Whitty urged people to adopt “old fashioned” habits to stave off ill health and disability in later life, saying sickness need not be an inevitable part of ageing. He said healthy eating, exercise, mental stimulation, drinking only in moderation and stopping smoking were key.

• Eight habits that will ‘lower biological age by six years’

Whitty called for policymakers to focus on maximising people’s independence and minimising the