In a dimly lit nursing home, Eloise sits alone on her bed, looking out the window into the empty parking lot. She longs for the days when her friends would visit her, when her children weren’t busy with their own lives. She’s lived to 89, but her life, riddled with arthritis and dementia, isn’t what she hoped it would be.
The pursuit of longevity has become an obsession, fueling a $25 billion industry in 2020. Anti-aging research and supplements that claim to stop the aging process have surged in popularity across the globe. Extending human existence is a profitable dream for the businesses behind these ‘fountains of youth.’
While the average life expectancy in the US has increased, with men living to 74.8 years and women to 80.2 years on average, the final years of one’s life are often marked by a decline in health, if not well before then.
As a result, our focus must shift from improving lifespan, simply how long we live, to healthspan, which is how many years are spent in good health. In the US, people live longer, but those extra years aren’t enjoyable. The gap between lifespan and healthspan in the US was estimated to be 12 years, meaning that more than the last decade of one’s life won’t be spent in good health.
Despite this, longevity cultures thrive. Products that claim to extend lifespan have saturated the market, using common phrases like “immortal” and “youth” to draw in consumers. Data-backed research to support the long-term outcomes of taking such supplements is limited, if present, yet their marketing often claims incredible results.
For example, the Federal Trade Commission recently sued the company behind the supplement ReJuvenation, which claimed it was a cure-all for any age-related conditions, including heart attack damage, cell damage, brain damage, deafness, blindness, and aging itself. What’s worse, the company targeted older adults, claiming that it would rid them of their age-associated conditions.
Dr. Peter Attia, longevity expert, co-author of the best-selling novel “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity,” and host of the longevity-focused podcast “The Drive,” highlighted a disturbing truth in a recent article: the average American celebrates just one happy birthday after turning 65.
While one might claim that this isn’t a problem for younger generations who have time until their older years, changing today’s generation will help mitigate a massive strain on healthcare systems, social services, and society as a whole. Healthy lifestyles must be maintained lifelong, with good practices starting early on; there is no quick fix that one can take when they turn 55 to turn back the clock.
The world’s population of 60 years or older is rapidly growing, with its numbers expected to double by 2050. With a healthcare system that is already strained, an increased aging population with a multitude of chronic conditions will exacerbate the bloated system.
In current nursing homes, the average resident is unsatisfied with the quality of care. A 2023 study found that, on a grade scale of A to F, the average resident rated their care as a D+, which shows that current care systems for the aging community are inadequate.
If timely changes are not made, the current issues faced by healthcare systems and the institutions that care for senior citizens will only be aggravated.
Recalibrating our health priorities is key to avoiding experiencing the “marginal decade,” as Attia calls it. Although they may not have the allure of a magic pill, utilizing proactive care and cultivating a healthier lifestyle is the only way to increase healthspan.
Regular exercise, eating healthy, sleeping well, and fostering community are vital. The Harvard Study of Adult Development tracked participants for over 80 years and found that embracing community and nurturing relationships may be the most critical determinant of health and long-term happiness.
The way we approach our long-term health needs to change. Investing in science-backed habits that will make one live healthier and stay that way for longer is crucial, rather than looking for a quick fix at 55.
We cannot control how long we live, but we can control how we live. By shifting our focus from lifespan to healthspan, from quantity to quality, and from reactive to proactive, we can make the years we have worth living.
