Unit 1 Video: Longevity Leaders

Narrator: The elderly are found across all countries and cultures. And their numbers
are increasing as people live longer.

There are over seven billion people in the world today. And this number
could reach nine billion by the year 2050. There will be more elderly in the
world than ever before. We will see aging populations all over the world in
the 21st century.

Andrew Zolli: In places like the United States, Europe, even China, we see populations that
are getting much older much faster.

Narrator: But how old is old?

In the natural world, there are animals that live for centuries. Some
researchers believe that some whales can live for 200 years or more. Giant
tortoises are known to live for 150 years or more. Elephants are known to
live for up to 70 years.

Humans live longer than most animals. They can live to a maximum of about
120 years. Of course, most humans don’t live that long. But there are places
in the world where people live longer—and healthier—lives.

This is Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. It has a very high number of
centenarians. These are people who live to see their 100th birthday. One
example is Antonio Bruno, who was still healthy and happy at 103 years old.

Japan also has a very high number of centenarians. The secret to longevity
may be found on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where people live longer
and healthier lives than anywhere else in the world.

In some ways, centenarians in Okinawa and Sardinia have similar lifestyles,

even if their cultures are different. They tend to stay active and eat locally
grown food. They have hobbies, like this Okinawan woman who works in her
garden every day. Most centenarians also have access to good medical care,
and they have the support of their friends and family.

These centenarians seem to be very healthy—but how much longer will such
healthy lifestyles last? Younger people are eating more processed foods, and
may be less active than their parents and grandparents. With increasing
globalization, these traditional lifestyles are fast disappearing.

People today are turning to medical science to help live longer lives. Some
scientists have started to treat aging as a disease instead of a natural part of
human life.

For now, though, there are few centenarians like this 102-year-old in the
world. However, if we follow their example—eat healthy, stay active, and
keep our families close—then we may see more centenarians in our future.
And our future may be very long indeed.