Push the envelope of ...

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HiDr Joel Fuhrman says: To maximally repair cellular damage, we are going to push the envelope of human longevity and really see if we can win the war on cancer.Does he mean that in order to maximally repair cellular damage they are trying to make people's lives longer because they want to see if they can win with cancer, which these people probably already have?

Elanguest · Accepted Answer

This explanation might help:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/push-the-envelope.html

Enoon · Answer

NewguestHiDr Joel Fuhrman says: To maximally repair cellular damage, we are going to push the envelope of human longevity and really see if we can win the war on cancer.Does he mean that in order to maximally repair cellular damage they are trying to make people's lives longer because they want to see if they can win with cancer, which these people probably already have?

To push the envelope is to exceed safe parameters in an attempt to improve performance. Dr. Fuhrman has misused the expression, spouting it unthinkingly as a dynamic buzzword intended to make what he's saying sound hip so people will buy his book.

That said, I think the transcription is wrong there. It reads,

"My niche in the nutritional world is to help people who don't just want a little better health, but who want to know what would be optimal. To maximally repair cellular damage, we are going to push the envelope of human longevity and really see if we can win the war on cancer."

I think it should be,

"My niche in the nutritional world is to help people who don't just want a little better health, but who want to know what would be optimal to maximally repair cellular damage. We are going to push the envelope of human longevity and really see if we can win the war on cancer."

Push the envelope of ...

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