Would You Want To Live To Be 100?

Can you imagine yourself as a really, really old person? I'm talking really old, like 100 years or beyond? In fact it's not only possible you could hit the century mark, your chances are actually increasing.

According to the Foundation For Health In Aging, if you were born in 1899, your chances of living to 100 were 400 to 1. If you were born in 1980, your chances increased to 87 to 1. By 2030, 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older. And this phenomenon is not restricted to the U.S. In other developed countries such as Japan, Italy, Germany, Sweden and the U.K. the proportion of seniors to the rest of the population is even greater.

Welcome to Geezerdom, land of the Geezers, where the state of being really old is known as "Geezage". Since I am one, I can use this term with impunity. It's meant as a term of endearment. Well, kind of.

We're already seeing scores of feisty seniors protesting in the town hall meetings this month. (In my last post, we launched an "August Reform" movement wherein for "national security" reasons, we declared August officially dumped from the calendar. Get up to speed here.)

Can you imagine what it's going to be like when the world is taken over by the Geezer Mafia with an axe to grind? Today's health care reform protesters will look like pishers compared to what's coming down the pike.

One of the most dramatic changes among seniors of the future will be their level of education. By 2030, 84% of seniors will have completed high school and 24% will have a bachelor's degree, compared to 15% with a college degree today. Higher levels of education are associated with higher income, better levels of health and lower levels of disability.

Guess what else? These educated seniors will be very comfortable with cutting edge technology. They will have grown up with the Internet and smart phones and have ready access to an infinite number of information resources. They will be well informed and likely to be much more demanding healthcare consumers than the seniors we see protesting today. In fact, I suspect they'll be much more demanding of everything. Fasten your seatbelts. The Geezers are coming!

President Obama is a perfect example of the kind of senior we can look forward to in 2030, when he'll be 69 yrs. old. Take a look around at the 30-40 Something's today. They'll be the generation on deck to lead the charge for the seniors of the future. I have two daughters in that generation. HuffPost bloggers Kari Henley, Jason Mannino, and Eli Davidson are in that generation. If the rest of the pack is anything like them, Geezerdom is going to be in good hands.

Young people have a hard time contemplating old age. Heck, I'm old and I still don't get it! Some day, the "youngsters" will join the ranks of Geezerdom, so best to plan for it now by adopting some lifestyle behaviors that help increase longevity.

In case you're up for living to 100, here are some tips from the
UK Times Online on How To Increase Your Lifespan:

1. Be married or live with a partner - add 1 year
2. Maintain a healthy weight - add 6 years (A healthy BMI level is between 18.5 and 25)
3. Be a non-smoker - add 10 years
4. Spend at least 15 minutes/day laughing- add 8 years (I guess laughter really IS the best medicine!)
5. Be a woman - add 3.3 years (Sorry men, women tend to outlive men by around 10 %)
6. Clear out the clutter - add 1 year (People who live in jumble and chaos are more likely to feel stressed and depressed.)
7. Eat a nutritious, balanced diet - add 6.6 years (Daily consumption of garlic, wine, vegetables, fruits, almonds and get this, dark chocolate)
8. Eat meat no more than once a week - add 3.6 years
9. Have a positive outlook - add 9 years
(Studies have shown that those with an optimistic outlook are less prone to viruses and recover quicker from illnesses and injuries. These people tend to act in 'healthier' ways than negative people by taking more exercise and enjoying social activities.)
10. Attend church regularly - add 3 years
(According to the University of Pittsburgh, people who attend weekly religious services can expect to live around three years longer than non-attenders.)
11. Get at least 6-7 hours sleep/night - add 5 years
(Poor sleep can contribute to a number of medical factors which can put people at risk of heart disease.)
12. Floss your teeth daily - add 6 years
(Flossing removes harmful bacteria that can contribute to cardiovascular disease.)
13. Get a pet - add 2 years
(Research shows that people with pets are less likely to suffer from depression and visit their doctors less often than those without. It is also said that stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure and stress levels.)

According to this list, I might expect to live for another 48 years! Oy vey! I better stop flossing. I don't think I can handle sticking around that much longer.

"Not to worry", Darren Dicks, head of annuities at Norwich Union, says: "While we aren't really suggesting that someone adopting all of these practices will automatically add more than 70 years to their life, our research shows that broadly speaking these activities will have an effect on life expectancy."

Whew! For a minute there, I thought I might be doomed to living forever.

I've actually thought about this subject quite a bit. I'm 67 years old. My mother lived to 91. Her sister lived to 100. Conceivably, I could expect to be around for another 30 years or more. The questions is, do I want to live that long?

How can the planet sustain us all if we keep extending the life expectancy? Don't we have some kind of duty to vacate the premises at a certain point? I'm not talking "death panels", but I think we Geezers ought to be willing to make room for everyone else to take a crack at it and not push this life expectancy thing too far.

I got into a discussion about this with a friend who had this fantasy: we should have an agreement that everyone gets to live to 80 and then they "graduate". There would be no drama around it; it would just be the way it is.

Think about it. You could more easily plan your finances since you'd know exactly how long you were going to need them. You could choose to retire with enough years left to enjoy your life and be fully present knowing precisely how much time you have left. You could plan your "graduation". Throw a big party, invite all your friends, have the "time of your life" and say sayonara at the end. What a way to go! Sign me up.

One thing old age will never change however. A woman can still change her mind. Just in case I change mine, I'm going to keep flossing, get more sleep, eat more dark chocolate and I might even consider getting a pet.

What about you? Do you want to live to be 100? If so, what's your vision for yourself as a "Geezer"? What's your solution for the Geezage over-population problem?

Please leave a comment in the space below and while you're at it, go ahead and Become A Fan, Buzz, Digg and Tweet me up, Scotty. Come visit my personal blog Rx For The Soul where I post several times each week. And thank you for being a reader.

I'm off until after Labor Day, see you in September.

Blessings on the path.

Follow Dr. Judith Rich on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dr_judithrich

Comments

[Hirnlego]

100? Give me 5000 years. And then let me restart a new life through reincarnation...
I wish one could actually decide a bit more..

[James M. Lynch - Huffpost Blogger]

Dr. J,
I'm trying to convince Riv to buy a dog and you've just given me a little more evidence to convince her! 2 more years! Actually, I have a youngest who is 6 and I'm 52 so if I want to see her at 50 I've got to live to nearly 100 and I won't do it unless I'm healthy and hale so I've been taking that on NOW.
Seriously, a friend of mine is a specialist in planning for old age and as more of us will live to see 85 and above she warns that it's the age most of us don't plan for. Better get at it, everyone!
See you in September, Judith,
Love,
James.

[mrcontinental]

No.

[truthartbeauty]

I would take issue with the attend church factor. I am without any doubt, more comfortable with my religious/spiritual beliefs than any christian. It is NOT church that does, it , it is being comfortable and confident in your own personal set of beliefs. Religion actually has a negative impact on individuals as well as societies. A philosophy of peace , free from the insane ugly wrong teachings of religion is a much healthier way to be.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Not that it matters, but I actually agree with you, truthartbeauty. The people who did this study found otherwise however. Doesn't mean some of us don't have an experience that lies outside the parameters of this study.

I do attend church regularly, and it brings me a great deal of joy and happiness. But it took me a long time to find one that reflects the spiritual beliefs I already held. Now that I've found it, I find great comfort in being in a community of kindred spirits. However, attending church regularly is not the foundation of my happiness.

Perhaps we should conduct a study on people who do not go to church, but have strongly held spiritual beliefs. What do you think?

Thanks for your comment.....
Judith

[negirl]

NO

[sonoffestus]

Do I want to live to be 100? Maybe, maybe not, but I'll let you know when I get there.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Please send a postcard!

Blessings,
Judith

[Kari Henley - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Judith!
That list was hilarious! I love positive outlook is a whopping 9 years.
My father in law is 101. I love your question of do we want to live that long. I watch my in-laws continue to live independently, watch the news, read current event books, exercise and be very engaged in the world. The trouble is- there is little means for them to make contributions.
I think this is the Key travesty of our culture. We shove our elders away, out of sight, and are annoyed at having to take care of them.

Maria Shriver is initiating creative centers for elders and children to blend together throughout the day. Sort of a "book end" day care of sorts- yet it is also community and engagement it pure form. The more we can create means for our elders to contribute to society, the less they will feel useless, the less frustrated their children will feel, and society can benefit from their tremendous wealth of experience, insight and perspectives.

Thanks for this one! Loved it!
Kari

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Kari,

You have an "up close and personal" experience of someone over 100 who is still active. Amazing!

Thanks so much for pointing out Maria Shriver's project. It sounds like the perfect solution for what you mentioned as a way for seniors to connect and contribute to each other. This is a issue we're going to be facing more and more.

As I said in the article, I think I'll be ready to graduate long before I reach 100. 85 sounds like perfect age to move on to me. It's long enough to feel complete and yet not become too much of a burden to society. We all can't live forever..... at least, not in these bodies. What happens beyond the shedding of this physical realm is another story, another post maybe.

Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Judith

[Chironomid]

Assuming a reasonable state of health, my compelling interest in the evolution of societies says "YES"!! I just have to see what happens.

[Dr. Cara Barker - Huffpost Blogger]

One of the reasons I'd love to get to 100 is that I'd like to enjoy the two of us at our Golden Girls' Finishing School cackling up a storm, counting our wrinkles, using a magic marker to connect our collective age spots, and generally, raising a ruckus. Since all of my grandparents died in their 40's, I'd love to survive and thrive to one hundred in great health, an even better sense of humor, and meet my great grandbabies. I cannot imagine this without you at our side.

Let's rock on, dear Judith!

Love,
Cara

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Cara,

Well that would be reason enough to stick around!

For readers who probably don't know, Cara and I have envisioned our final "housing" as a kind of co-housing, commune type arrangement we call The Golden Girls Finishing School. It would be a "finishing" of sorts in all kinds of ways, becoming more "finished" as the days go by. All of this meant in the lovliest sense. And when we're completely finished, graduation day!

Now what's wrong with that scenario? Sounds like a plan to me!

As always Miss Cara, thank you for your gracious comment. I am blessed.

Love,
Judith

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

It looks like I'll have to stop laughing and become a grudger, otherwise my retirement will be one unhappy waiting until death finally arrives and finishes my state of poverty due to excessive longevity.

Or maybe unflossing my teeth will suffice.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Diog,

I thought so too. The unflossing bit ought to do it, don't you think? Painless and silent...... perhaps not very quick though. Still and all, that'll probably be my demise and hopefully long before 100. My resource pockets will have run dry long before then.

But then, you never know. We all might just get real creative and figure out new ways to harness our innate powers of abundance and open the flood gates to longevity with our pockets spilling over! That would be good too!

May your pockets always be full, Diog........
Judith

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

Let's say when we make it to Oprah's show then we can afford to graduate at 100. Deal?

May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.

[johnsopinion]

80 and graduate? Are you kidding?
You people need to get over this 'overpopulation' and labeling
yourselves as unworthy, unloved and whatever else sounds
heart wrenching.
I'm 66 now, looking forward to 120, just out of spite! You see,
I smoke. And have for about 50+ years and I'll compare my state
of health to any 45 year old.

But 80? God, you're gonna miss out on a lot! I want to witness as
much as I can for another 50 or so years. The last 50 have been
very entertaining and the next 50 will be even moreso. With the
dynamics of people killing each other (for what I don't know-never
have figured that one out), they'll always be room. And of course,
interplanetary travel is just around the next BBC documentary.
More room! And not to mention survival-o­f-the-fitt­est (mentally,
that is), also a BBC documentary (without the mentally fit).

Then, around 120, I'll take my quart of good stout Jackie D., a
pack of my favorite cigarettes, walk out into the woods on the
coldest day of the year (got to be below zero-hopefully snow),
sit down under a tree and drink myself into a stupor. Then my
dear Mother, good ol' dependable Mother Nature, will take
care of the rest. No muss, no fuss.

500 years later, archeologists will find me and figure I must
have been a sacrifice to the gods! Is that not cool?

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Yup, that IS cool! Hope it all turns out that way for you. You'll be one for the history books and why not?

Best,
Judith

[sunnybunny]

Quality is so much more important than quantity here. Living a long time would be ok if life is good. I hope to stay healthy a long time and have a lot of cool things going on. Otherwise, since I happen to believe in the afterlife (heaven) I would rather be there.

[curiousasheck]

Um to be honest not really for one thing I already packed 100 years of living into my first 40.

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

So then you'll be 200 by the time you 'graduate'. Cool.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

What did they say about curiosity? What did it do to the cat? I hope you have nine lives!

[Willow712]

I'm a nursing home nurse. I had one Resident, 103 years old. She put her hair up in a bun every day, put on makeup, color coordinated her clothes, read the newspaper front to back every morning in bed, When we brough her meds, she yelled out, "My pulse is 76, put my meds on the dresser." Signed herself out to catch a cab to the airport to fly to Albuquerque to her granddaughters'. One day, she stopped eating, stopped talking, became in continent, and in three days she was gone. If one has their health and their wits, living to 100 would be great!

On the other hand, if one is sick, weak, frail, living from 80 to 100 would seem like the longest prison sentence ever. I guess its lucky for us that we don't know ahead of time what we get.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Willow712,

I want to be like that resident "when I grow up". Sign me up for whatever meds she was on! She had the right idea.

There must be something to the notion that we can choose when we die. Look at her!

What do you think about that? Can we choose when to die (without "offing" ourselves deliberately!)?

Thanks for sharing this great story!

Judith

[Jason Mannino - Huffpost Blogger]

I love this! What a great dialogue to begin here. Thanks! I am going to file this one for reference! I wonder what they say about genetic code. It seems as though within the context of my parents and grandparents the only one who is living well beyond 80 (about to turn 90 is my maternal grandmother). The only one left out of that bunch who is just hitting 70 and very likely entering his transition this week is my dad. It is my intention to undue that code and live healthy well into my senior years.

One other suggestion. I recently went through a "living vision" exercise for what I want my life to be like in my senior years. It was wonderful and really helped me to be able to be able to "contemplate" old age.

Love you,
Jason

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Jason,

Keep that "visioning" thing going! We want you around for a loooong time! We're going to need you to help lead the Geezer brigade 30 years from now.

Blessings on your father as he makes his transition. And warm hugs to you too, my friend!

Love,
Judith