Madrid, September 1 (EFE) – Most of us feel a psychological aversion to the idea of living forever, or so the surveys say, but we do want to live many years with a good quality of life. This goal, and what is known about how to achieve it, is explored in the book ‘Time on Our Side: The Science of Longevity’ by Spanish journalist Carmen Lanchares.
“My idea was to delve deeper into the topic of longevity based on the most relevant research and findings, but without losing sight of the human side and everyday reality,” the writer explains in an interview with EFE.
In fact, the book starts from a simple and far-reaching thesis: the longevity revolution is not just about adding years to life, but about learning to live a longer life.
“I didn’t want to write a scientific treatise or a self-help manual. Nor did I want to stick to the cliché ‘exercise and eat healthy’. I wanted to go further: to analyze longevity in all its complexity: its biological, economic, social, psychological, environmental and ethical dimensions,” emphasizes Lanchares, who for more than two decades has been the Beauty and Health Director at the Spanish edition of VOGUE magazine.
The book, which includes dozens of clinical studies on the evolution of the human body in its different aspects, goes on sale on September 3, published by Debate (Penguin Random House).
Is it possible to “remain young” at a very advanced age?
For Lanchares, turning another year older is not just a number, it is something “intimate and collective at the same time: it is forged in everyday actions, but also in the type of society we want, so as not to leave anyone behind.”
“Longevity medicine and the cosmetics industry offer us many good resources today to treat the skin and the signs of aging, but the goal should not be to become clones of our youth, but to feel good in our skin at every stage of our lives,” she emphasizes.
In the last century we have increased life expectancy more than in all the previous millennia, but how can we manage that extra time?
“The key to this new longevity is understanding that all those extra years offer us the opportunity to open a new stage in which the accumulated experience and knowledge allow us to let go of burdens and, as Carl Honoré (author of ‘In Praise of Slow’) said, to finally be more ourselves. The book seeks to be an invitation to take care of ourselves wisely, to face age with resilience, and to remember why life is worth living,” explains the author.
Unraveling the mystery of eternal life
Lanchares talks about the scientists who defend the possibility of finding the key to eternal life and those who conclude that our existence as human beings has limits.
“The truth is that I was drawn in, almost captivated by, the theories of Aubrey de Grey or José Luis Cordeiro and those ideas that aging is a ‘technical’ problem that can be solved. I love to fantasize about these approaches, which certainly make for good headlines,” the journalist reflects.
“However, speaking honestly, I am more convinced by the natural limit position. Scientific evidence confirms that cellular wear and tear marks an inevitable biological ceiling.”
Lanchares points out in his book that science, with multimillion-dollar investments, is making giant strides, but “it is clear that we can improve and ‘repair’ our biological clock to a certain extent” because “our organism is not a machine in which all the defective parts can be replaced.”
The new language of longevity
The journalist includes and describes in her work terms that are associated with “getting older” (geroscience) and how to avoid it: exposome, creatine, magnesium, ‘NEAT (Non-Exercise activity)’, thermogenesis, ‘antiaging’, ‘wellaging’, ‘slow aging’ or ‘proaging’, ‘biohacking’ or midorexia, but if there is one that she defends it is “joyspan” (joy of living).
A term created by gerontologist Kerry Burnight that attempts to measure the number of years a person lives with emotional satisfaction, a sense of purpose, and healthy relationships—something we should all practice when we reach what long-lived actress Jane Fonda has defined as the “third act.”
“In my book I emphasize this distinction: taking care of yourself means accepting the natural process and supporting it with the best tools available. Denying aging is declaring a war, lost from the start, against biology,” Lanchares explains.
Rafael Molina
PHOTO: Image courtesy of Carmen Lanchares, author of the book ‘Time on Our Side’. EFE/ Manuel Molina EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ONLY AVAILABLE TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACCOMPANYING NEWS ITEM (CREDIT REQUIRED)*
