Ways to live for 100 years ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute.

English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil. And I'm Beth.

How old are you, Beth?

That's a very personal question, Neil!

Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude.

Anyway, at least you're not a centenarian -

someone who's lived to be a hundred years old.

Are you saying I look a hundred?

That's even ruder! Sorry, Beth.

No, it's just that,

with advances in modern medicine,

people are living longer and longer.

There was a time when living to 100 seemed impossible.

But in 2021,

The United Nations Population Division estimated there to be

over half a million centenarians worldwide

and that number is set to rise.

So, how do you live to 100? And what could life be like

in your twilight years?

A phrase meaning your old age or the last years of your life.

That's what we'll be discussing in this programme and of course,

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary, too.

But first, I have a question for you, Beth.

In 2022

The world's oldest certified person died aged 119,

but which country was she from? Was it:

a) Switzerland b) Italy or c) Japan.

Hmm, I think the answer is Japan.

OK Beth, we'll find out the answer

at the end of the programme. Of all the many factors for long life,

such as diet, exercise and keeping active, human relationships are among

the most important. People

who are more connected with others and have warmer relationships, live longer

and stay healthier, and according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger,

talking here with the BBC

World Service Programme

'The Inquiry', those relationships don't necessarily have to be with humans.

Introverts actually find having a lot of people around stressful,

so they might only need one or two close people and that's all they need,

that's all they want. And that's just fine for them.

So, one size doesn't fit all

when it comes to how many relationships

you need to have a healthy life.

It doesn't have to be done with another human.

We know that pets provide us with a great deal of comfort and joy

and pets can calm us down.

Whether you're a shy introvert or noisy extrovert,

what counts is friendship,

be that with a human or a pet. Different things work for different people.

So, Dr Waldinger

says it's not 'one size fits all' - a phrase meaning something which is suitable

for everyone or every purpose.

So far, we've mentioned the importance of diet, exercise and friendship.

But some people want more radical ways of defying death

and staying young. Dr Nir Barzilai

director of the American Federation for Ageing Research

has developed three scenarios in his work with centenarians in the US.

The first scenario, called Dorian Gray

after the fictional character who didn't age

involves delaying the ageing process.

Here's doctor Barzilai explaining more to BBC

World Service Programme. 'The Inquiry'.

The second scenario is what we call the 'wolverine'

or the 'fountain of youth' taking old people and make them young.

This is very, very hard.

This will be the most complex things we can do.

And the third scenario,

and this is a very exciting scenario,

and we have some evidence that it works, is the 'Peter Pan' scenario.

Peter Pan, didn't grow old - the idea that you'll take people

when they're 20 or 30 and give them a treatment

every few months or every year and you'll basically erase their ageing

and let them age

very, very slowly, which also will mean, probably.

that they'll pass their 115 year,

maximum potential lifespan.

All Dr Barzilai's treatments are aimed at extending lifespan, the length

of time someone is normally expected to live. His second treatment,

making someone who is old,

younger, is called 'the fountain of youth', a legendary source

of magical water that keeps

anyone who drinks it, young forever.  

Doctor Barzilai's third treatment involves slowing down the ageing process

so much that people hardly age at all. This treatment is called Peter Pan

after the fictional boy who never grew up and is connected to another idiom,

'Peter Pan Syndrome',

which describes an immature person who has reached adulthood,

but refuses to take on adult responsibilities.

But which country was the certified oldest person in the world

from? That was your question, Neil and I guessed Japan. But was I right?

You were... correct!

Kane Tanaka, was born on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

She lived to 119, the oldest human ever recorded,

and her secret? Playing chess eating chocolate and drinking coffee!

OK, let's recap the vocabulary

we have learned from this programme about 'centenarians'

- people aged 100 years or more.

Your 'twilight years' are your old age.

The phrase 'one size fits all' means suitable for everyone or every purpose.

A 'lifespan' is the length of time someone is normally expected to live.

The legendary 'fountain of youth' produces magical water,

so that anyone who drinks

it lives forever.

And finally, the phrase

'Peter Pan syndrome' describes an adult who refuses to grow up. Once again,

Our 6 minutes are up.

Join us again soon for more useful vocabulary here at 6 minute

English. Goodbye for now. Bye!