My friends will be glad to know I've decided to live to be 120 years old. For the rest of you, too bad. Now, I realize the odds are against me but such a feat is absolutely possible. My crack team of biologists assures me that the telomeres in human cells are capable of of lasting for at least 120 years of cell replication. If my telomeres are willing to hang around that long, so am I. Virtually all developed nations have individuals who have lived past 110 years, so what's another decade? The fact that supercentenarians exist all over the world is evidence that exceptional longevity is not dependent on a certain gene pool. Okay, Bill, then how come 110-year-old people are so rare? Simple. To live to 120 you have to have the right attitude. I have it in spades.
If a man is, say, 70, and the average lifespan of an American male is less than 80, he is going to spend his declining years fretting about how much time he has left, getting his affairs in order---whatever that means---and going to church a lot. He is not going to climb stairs two steps at a time, swim from Key West to Cuba or join the Rattlesnake Roundup. “Better be careful, George, you’re not a spring chicken anymore,” clucks wife Mabel. “If I were you, Georgie, I’d trade that Harley in for a nice safe trike,” advises best friend Barney. George is assaulted on all sides by a hailstorm of reminders he’s not at Woodstock anymore. No matter his mettle, any victim of this deluge is almost bound to reconsider his bravado, pull in his oars a bit, grease up the front porch swing. Not me, though. As soon as the Covid relents, I’m going to find one of those mud runs to compete in, join a speed-walkers club, trek through the wilderness with Wild Bill Thacker on a giant agouti safari. You can take the kid out of the arena but you can’t take the arena out of the kid. You got a problem with that?
“We Can Run Like The Devil Where The Ground Is Level For About 400 Yards!”
In the United States, despite free-ranging viruses, awful television and statues falling on you in the park, the population of people over 100 has grown by 65% in the last three decades. And a LOT of them weren’t even trying. Geriatrician Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston Medical Center, claims that research shows behaviors have a greater influence on survival at least until the late 80s since most people have good enough genes to get that far. “There are certain commonalities among those who live to be 100,” Perls says. “Few smoke, nearly all the men are lean and centenarians have high levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.” I never smoked, still weigh 152 pounds with a 33” waist and have an HDL of 70, a good number for men. So there, doubters, off to a good start.
Perls does say genes play an important part in carrying a contender the rest of the way. My maternal grandmother lived to 93 and my mother died at 87. My sister, Alice, is 77 despite being a Republican, and my other sister, Kathy, is 69, though somewhat compromised since Tom Brady left the Patriots for Tampa. Perls also says intelligence helps because “the more educated people know when to go to the doctor and are smart enough to follow the doctor’s advice. Intelligent people now tend to spend more on health care and improved diet.” Despite a slight dalliance in pastries, my diet is excellent, eschewing red meat, embracing fruit and vegetables. My wife even has a kale garden and monitors my tea intake. And I am working very hard at learning to be intelligent.
120 Is The New 95
You can argue that 123 is impossible, but not 120. Jean Louise Calment was born in Arles, France and died there 122 years later. Her age was well-documented. Emma Morano of Verbania, Italy almost made it, passing into that Great Pasta Garden in the sky at 117. A study at Canada’s McGill University argues that there is no evidence that maximum lifespan has ceased increasing and that studies positing otherwise are flawed. The Canadian biologists believe super-centenarians will become more and more common as time passes. Pretty soon one of them will be delivering your pizza.
By analyzing the lifespan of the longest-living individuals in the U.S., the UK, France and Japan for each year since 1968, the McGill researchers found no evidence for a particular limit; if such a maximum exists, it has yet to be identified. Professor Siegfried Hekimi said “We just don’t know what the limit will be. In fact, by extending trend lines, we can show that maximum and average lifespans could continue to increase far into the foreseeable future.”
In 1841, the average newborn Englishman could expect to live 40 years. A Brit born in 2011, however, could expect 79 years, double the time of the earlier Britisher. Scientists point out that technology, medical interventions and improvements in living conditions could push the upper limit back to previously unheard of lifespans. “If we had told those folks in 1841 that some day many people would live to 100, they would have reacted the same way people do now about 120,” smiled Hekimi. “There are no convincing studies available which permit us to predict the limits on maximum lifespans in the future. It is not fixed and subject to natural human constraints. Assigning an ultimate limit is folly.”
You tell ‘em, Doc. I’ll be checking over the global warning predictions to see when I leave for Colorado.
In the United States, despite free-ranging viruses, awful television and statues falling on you in the park, the population of people over 100 has grown by 65% in the last three decades. And a LOT of them weren’t even trying. Geriatrician Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston Medical Center, claims that research shows behaviors have a greater influence on survival at least until the late 80s since most people have good enough genes to get that far. “There are certain commonalities among those who live to be 100,” Perls says. “Few smoke, nearly all the men are lean and centenarians have high levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.” I never smoked, still weigh 152 pounds with a 33” waist and have an HDL of 70, a good number for men. So there, doubters, off to a good start.
Perls does say genes play an important part in carrying a contender the rest of the way. My maternal grandmother lived to 93 and my mother died at 87. My sister, Alice, is 77 despite being a Republican, and my other sister, Kathy, is 69, though somewhat compromised since Tom Brady left the Patriots for Tampa. Perls also says intelligence helps because “the more educated people know when to go to the doctor and are smart enough to follow the doctor’s advice. Intelligent people now tend to spend more on health care and improved diet.” Despite a slight dalliance in pastries, my diet is excellent, eschewing red meat, embracing fruit and vegetables. My wife even has a kale garden and monitors my tea intake. And I am working very hard at learning to be intelligent.
120 Is The New 95
You can argue that 123 is impossible, but not 120. Jean Louise Calment was born in Arles, France and died there 122 years later. Her age was well-documented. Emma Morano of Verbania, Italy almost made it, passing into that Great Pasta Garden in the sky at 117. A study at Canada’s McGill University argues that there is no evidence that maximum lifespan has ceased increasing and that studies positing otherwise are flawed. The Canadian biologists believe super-centenarians will become more and more common as time passes. Pretty soon one of them will be delivering your pizza.
By analyzing the lifespan of the longest-living individuals in the U.S., the UK, France and Japan for each year since 1968, the McGill researchers found no evidence for a particular limit; if such a maximum exists, it has yet to be identified. Professor Siegfried Hekimi said “We just don’t know what the limit will be. In fact, by extending trend lines, we can show that maximum and average lifespans could continue to increase far into the foreseeable future.”
In 1841, the average newborn Englishman could expect to live 40 years. A Brit born in 2011, however, could expect 79 years, double the time of the earlier Britisher. Scientists point out that technology, medical interventions and improvements in living conditions could push the upper limit back to previously unheard of lifespans. “If we had told those folks in 1841 that some day many people would live to 100, they would have reacted the same way people do now about 120,” smiled Hekimi. “There are no convincing studies available which permit us to predict the limits on maximum lifespans in the future. It is not fixed and subject to natural human constraints. Assigning an ultimate limit is folly.”
You tell ‘em, Doc. I’ll be checking over the global warning predictions to see when I leave for Colorado.
Sex And The Single Geezer
A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 56% of Americans would not want any kind of treatments to enable dramatically longer lives. Fine, more room for me. I wonder what that figure would be if the 56% did not envision an afterlife on the sunny streets of Heaven, where white-robed angels plucked a happy tune on golden harps and the pie shops were open 24 hours a day. Or if a little hanky-panky was still an option.
What wears us down now is deteriorating health, loss of friends and family, gross physical limitations. Eventually, medical advances could eliminate or drastically reduce these concerns. One of my friends moans, “I feel like I died when sex was no longer an option.” Aging bodies and certain medications can sap the pizzazz from a previously lusty specimen. Only one in 10 women 85 or older is still a participant (she’s very popular in the aging community) and a mere 25% of men, but lack of a partner rather than a dearth of interest is often the culprit.
“Those figures are definitely out of whack for some of these ladies here in The Villages,” claims a wary male resident. “If a single man goes out after dark down here, he’s liable to get shanghied. There's no question in my mind that people who still have sex are a lot less likely to be cashing in their chips. Nobody commits suicide when Celia is coming over Saturday night."
The Blue Zones Project
In 2005, Dan Buettner’s National Geographic project studied five Blue Zone communities to find their commonalities. The Blue Zones are those places on our planet where people live the longest: Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California.
“None of the people in the Blue Zones TRIED to live longer than everyone else on Earth,” Buettner said. “It’s they way they live naturally. So rather than nag people to exercise or eat healthy, why not shape people’s environments so that health is basically mindless?”
Thus, the Blue Zone Project was born, its aim to reshape culture and environment to change individual behavior so the changes stick. “The thing about these longevity principles,” avers Buettner, “is that you have to do them for a long time. If you’re a vegan for two years and then eat burgers and fries for the rest of your life, that earlier vegan diet won’t do much for you.”
So far, Blue Zone initiatives have reached almost 3.5 million people in more than 40 cities. Social change begins to happen when as little as 10% of a population changes its thinking. The project aims to sign up about 20% of the population of a place to Blue Zone pledges to do things like de-conveniencing their homes to encourage more physical effort, offering to volunteer at a variety of places, etc. “Interested cities usually come to me,” states Buettner, “most recently Minneapolis.”
Buettner likes to deal at the city and community level. There are usually 5 to 10 low-hanging fruits in terms of changes to make right away which are relatively inexpensive and don’t stir up political tension. Here are five principles communities can adapt to create a culture of longevity….and justice, in the bargain.
1. Eat mostly plants (also legumes and fish, make meat rare. Try to eat with friends when you can. Laughter with others reduces stress, contributes to less heart disease, improved immune systems and sharper cognitive function).
2. Move naturally (gardening, frequent walks to visit friends, anything which encourages motion).
3. Decrease stress (practice yoga, mindfulness, spend time in nature, prayer or journaling, etc. Cultivate friends, visit, join a group with common interests).
4. Cultivate a sense of purpose (helping others in the community, giving time to community efforts, accepting your stewardship of the Earth).
5. Belong to a healthy tribe (cultivate ‘medical gardens’ full of vegetables, herbs and spices and consume them daily; maintain a deep dedication to friends, family and social networks, a strong sense of shared purpose, establish friendships for life).
Social philosopher Roman Krznaric states “Individualism that pictures each human being as totally self-sufficient providing for all his or her material, physical and social needs is damaging and dishonest. But individualism that celebrates each human being’s unique personhood and potential contribution to the world---that’s good and necessary. Shifting our collective story away from rugged individualism and more toward interconnected individuality will reduce the stigma around asking for help and relieve the terrible burden of loneliness and stress if one has to make it all on one’s own. A culture that supports, protects and honors friendships will give everyone more opportunities to be surrounded by caring people making healthy choices. Changing our environments might be difficult, but it’s easier than changing all by ourselves.”
Words to thrive by. Live long and prosper.
That’s all, folks….
bill.killeen094@gmail.com
A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 56% of Americans would not want any kind of treatments to enable dramatically longer lives. Fine, more room for me. I wonder what that figure would be if the 56% did not envision an afterlife on the sunny streets of Heaven, where white-robed angels plucked a happy tune on golden harps and the pie shops were open 24 hours a day. Or if a little hanky-panky was still an option.
What wears us down now is deteriorating health, loss of friends and family, gross physical limitations. Eventually, medical advances could eliminate or drastically reduce these concerns. One of my friends moans, “I feel like I died when sex was no longer an option.” Aging bodies and certain medications can sap the pizzazz from a previously lusty specimen. Only one in 10 women 85 or older is still a participant (she’s very popular in the aging community) and a mere 25% of men, but lack of a partner rather than a dearth of interest is often the culprit.
“Those figures are definitely out of whack for some of these ladies here in The Villages,” claims a wary male resident. “If a single man goes out after dark down here, he’s liable to get shanghied. There's no question in my mind that people who still have sex are a lot less likely to be cashing in their chips. Nobody commits suicide when Celia is coming over Saturday night."
The Blue Zones Project
In 2005, Dan Buettner’s National Geographic project studied five Blue Zone communities to find their commonalities. The Blue Zones are those places on our planet where people live the longest: Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California.
“None of the people in the Blue Zones TRIED to live longer than everyone else on Earth,” Buettner said. “It’s they way they live naturally. So rather than nag people to exercise or eat healthy, why not shape people’s environments so that health is basically mindless?”
Thus, the Blue Zone Project was born, its aim to reshape culture and environment to change individual behavior so the changes stick. “The thing about these longevity principles,” avers Buettner, “is that you have to do them for a long time. If you’re a vegan for two years and then eat burgers and fries for the rest of your life, that earlier vegan diet won’t do much for you.”
So far, Blue Zone initiatives have reached almost 3.5 million people in more than 40 cities. Social change begins to happen when as little as 10% of a population changes its thinking. The project aims to sign up about 20% of the population of a place to Blue Zone pledges to do things like de-conveniencing their homes to encourage more physical effort, offering to volunteer at a variety of places, etc. “Interested cities usually come to me,” states Buettner, “most recently Minneapolis.”
Buettner likes to deal at the city and community level. There are usually 5 to 10 low-hanging fruits in terms of changes to make right away which are relatively inexpensive and don’t stir up political tension. Here are five principles communities can adapt to create a culture of longevity….and justice, in the bargain.
1. Eat mostly plants (also legumes and fish, make meat rare. Try to eat with friends when you can. Laughter with others reduces stress, contributes to less heart disease, improved immune systems and sharper cognitive function).
2. Move naturally (gardening, frequent walks to visit friends, anything which encourages motion).
3. Decrease stress (practice yoga, mindfulness, spend time in nature, prayer or journaling, etc. Cultivate friends, visit, join a group with common interests).
4. Cultivate a sense of purpose (helping others in the community, giving time to community efforts, accepting your stewardship of the Earth).
5. Belong to a healthy tribe (cultivate ‘medical gardens’ full of vegetables, herbs and spices and consume them daily; maintain a deep dedication to friends, family and social networks, a strong sense of shared purpose, establish friendships for life).
Social philosopher Roman Krznaric states “Individualism that pictures each human being as totally self-sufficient providing for all his or her material, physical and social needs is damaging and dishonest. But individualism that celebrates each human being’s unique personhood and potential contribution to the world---that’s good and necessary. Shifting our collective story away from rugged individualism and more toward interconnected individuality will reduce the stigma around asking for help and relieve the terrible burden of loneliness and stress if one has to make it all on one’s own. A culture that supports, protects and honors friendships will give everyone more opportunities to be surrounded by caring people making healthy choices. Changing our environments might be difficult, but it’s easier than changing all by ourselves.”
Words to thrive by. Live long and prosper.
That’s all, folks….
bill.killeen094@gmail.com
