When I tell people I am a gerontologist, I they usually have no idea what that means. What is a gerontologist?
These two responses are common. Isn't that someone who looks for dead relatives on the Internet? Or is a gerontologist a
person who belongs to the same religious group as John Travolta and Tom
Cruz? A gerontologist is one who studies aging over the lifespan.
Gerontology is the comprehensive study of aging and problems of the
aged. Gerontologists are interested in biological,
sociological, and psychological aspects of aging and most of us are academics
and scientists.
If you want to live a
healthy and long life, don’t fall for “anti-aging” products. Aging is not a
disease, as it is common among all species. There is no “cure” for aging. Also,
aging doesn't start in middle age.
Aging begins in the womb as the mother’s placenta provides the nourishment
supply line to the developing fetus.
Aging is just a normal part of life.
People who age successfully are those who avoid chronic diseases and
continue being productive and engaged even well into their 80's, 90's, and
beyond.
Gerontologists
gain most of our information about successful aging from longitudinal studies
of centenarians, those people who live to age 100 and beyond. Longitudinal studies, as opposed to cross-sectional,
are controlled studies using scientific protocols and follow the same individuals
over several years to glean the most accurate information about their lifestyle
and habits. Do you know that because of
dramatic increases in life expectancy, centenarians are the fastest-growing
segment of our population?
By extrapolating
the data from the centenarian studies, gerontologists find commonalities that
we believe serve as a model for healthy aging.
We have found eight common habits from numerous centenarian studies:
1. Low
alcohol intake
2. Little
red meat
3. Eat
breakfast
4. Moderate
exercise
5. Eat
2 fruits and 3 vegetables daily
6. Happy
and resilient with a strong social network
7. Have
a hobby
8. Stable
body weight over the lifespan
What we eat and
the way we live throughout our lives has an enormous impact on how long we live
and the quality of life as we age.
Healthy living begins in childhood with proper nutrition and
exercise. Children who are overweight
and obese often have a lifestyle of junk food combined with sedentary
activities, and that is not a recipe for longevity.
During
the pandemic, examine your lifestyle habits.
Are they similar to the centenarian studies? Are you and your family eating excessive
amounts of fast food and watching too much television? Grabbing cookies and sweets instead of protein
or fruit? When was the last time your
family ate two vegetables in one day? It
is so easy to fall into habits without looking at the big picture. Is there room for improvement? If so, make a plan to implement one or two
changes that will lead to a healthier, longer life. There is no magic formula for living healthily
into old age, but there are the eight common habits of the centenarians to give
us a head start. More later! Be safe, stay home, wash your hands, and wear a mask. AgeDoc
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