USA: Secret Of The Century - What Does It Take To Live To 100?

"The secret of the century" By Pam Kelley/McClatchy Newspapers "Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young." - Teddy Roosevelt SUNRISE BEACH, Missouri (Lake Expo), December 24, 2007: What does it take to live to 100? It sure helps to start with good genes. Having long-lived relatives puts you ahead of the game. It helps to be female, too. An estimated 80 percent of the nation's centenarians are women. In America, an estimated 70,000 people are 100 or older, up from 50,000 in 2000. North Carolina has more than 11,000 people 95 and older. Whatever your genes or gender, you can take steps to live a longer, healthier life: - Restrict calories. Cutting calories by 30 to 40 percent of recommended daily intake lengthens life span in animals, studies show. Few people may follow this regime, but scientists are trying to learn what it is about eating less that slows aging. - Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low in animal and saturated fat. This will help you maintain a healthy weight, which also improves longevity. - Exercise 30 minutes a day, three times a week, at minimum. Include cardiovascular exercise and strength training, which can slow or stop the muscle loss that occurs with age. - Keep a positive attitude. In studies, people who had positive attitudes about aging lived an average of seven and a half years longer than those with negative outlooks. - Stay engaged in life. That means socializing with friends, volunteering, trying new activities, planning for the future. - Challenge your brain. A growing number of brain-exercise regimes promise to help you stave off dementia. But anything that challenges your brain works, experts say. Solve puzzles, read the classics, learn to play guitar. - Live a healthy life. Don't smoke. Drink only in moderation. Floss. Use sunscreen. Take a multivitamin. Wear your seatbelt. Every rule has exceptions, of course. Comedian George Burns, who lived to 100, was asked late in life what his doctor thought about his cigar smoking. His reply: My doctor's dead. ___________________________________________________________ ADVICE FROM LOCAL SENIORS ON AGING WELL GEORGIA HURT, 100 - Hurt, who turns 101 in January, attributes her longevity to hard work and clean living. A retired nurse, she grew up in Denver, N.C., working on her family's farm. She doesn't smoke or drink. And for years, she has exercised regularly, walking or taking exercise classes at Carmel Place, the retirement community where she lives. "I fully believe in exercise," she says. JOHN OGDAN, 92 - "Keep alive curiosity," says Ogdan. The retired nuclear power construction manager practices what he preaches. He regularly visits the Shamrock Senior Center, where he studies Russian and Spanish. Three years ago, he took up the accordion. He enjoys reading, and is now tackling a Ben Franklin biography. "My biggest problem now," he says, "is the day seems too short for what I want to do." HOW OLD WILL YOU LIVE TO BE? Get an estimate with the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator at www.livingto100.com. Created by Dr. Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study, the calculator asks 40 questions related to your health and family history. After giving you an estimate _ most people score in their late 80s _ it suggests lifestyle changes you can make to improve your score. Source: Dr. Robert Roush at the Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. © 2007, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina) Copyright © 2007 Lake Expo