Secrets to passing the century mark
If you’re like me, you can’t resist reading a good story about someone who has crossed the century mark. I’m always interested to see what they say was the secret to their longevity.
Inevitably, you get the stereotypical response – a close connection with family and friends, staying active, and so on. But when I picked up the 2008 Evercare 100@100 Survey, I was in for a surprise.
The survey revealed that this latest crop of triple-digit people have added something unexpected to the usual laundry list long, happy life tips – keeping up with the latest technology.
Apparently, a large number of centenarians are using cutting edge technology to stay in touch with the people in their lives. They’re talking on cell phones, emailing, listening to iPods, using popular search engines – even dating online!
Sounds like 100 is the new 17, doesn’t it?
This is the second year that Evercare has conducted their “100@100″ survey, which polls the practices and habits of 100 people who will turn 100 this year. And apparently, this techy trend among those of advanced age isn’t exactly new. The 2007 survey showed that many centenarians used iPods, and this year they’ve gotten into Google.
Dr. John Mach, chairman of the survey sponsor Evercare, said, “So, this is a recurring theme. And it’s because they are using this technology to stay in touch with family and friends.”
It’s long been known that emotional connections to friends and family can play a critical role in longevity. In fact, 90 percent of those surveyed in this latest poll said that staying close to family and friends was the most important factor in terms of healthy aging. Ninety percent also said that keeping an active mind was a key factor to long life, while 88 percent had another wonderfully non-medical key to a ripe old age: a sense of humor (couldn’t we all use a little more of that?). A full two-thirds of them stressed that a healthy diet was key to the fact that they’re walking over daisies instead of pushing them up.
After reading the survey results, what struck me about this group of 100-year-olds was that they were eradicating the sad stereotypes of old age. These folks are not content to sit in a wheelchair and stare out at a garden all day. They have a passion for the wonder and possibility of the new things in life – something that our blas society could really use a dose of.
If you want to be as inspired as I was by Evercare’s 100@100 survey, you can download the results here: www.evercarehealthplans.com/pdf/2008_Evercare_100@100_press.pdf.
Sex at 70 – better than ever
A new study by the Swedes (who else?) found that people in their early 70s are having more sex than ever – and apparently they’re enjoying it more than septuagenarians of previous generations.
In fact, the women in the study said they were particularly satisfied with their bedroom adventures – quite a switch from the women of thirty years ago. In a study of the same age group conducted in 1971, only half the number of women reported having sexual intercourse. Of course, you’ve got to wonder if the morays and taboos of talking publicly about such private matters skewed the results from that survey.
On the flip side, with our far more sexually relaxed culture, today’s septuagenarians could be just as embarrassed to say that they aren’t having sex.
Either way, I prefer to believe the results. For selfish reasons.
