Live longer! That is the express promise of antiaging. Yet many still question the philosophy of life extension, and wonder whether it is worth trying to extend lifespan and find longevity now. I believe this stems from a lack of understanding of the antiaging philosophy.
The Case for Longevity
Advancing age brings with it the wisdom of maturity and experience. Yet, it seems a shame that age cuts short the chance to fully benefit from the wisdom and experience accumulated over many years.
The secret of longevity is continued learning about health and how to best maintain it. Since age need not result in mental and physical impairment, people can continue to contribute their knowledge and skills within their field of endeavor.
As a society we have a tremendous pool of talent and experience in people of advanced age. One of the best arguments for extending lifespan is the huge increase in productiveness our society would have if we could live healthier AND longer.
Thus, longevity is in all our interests, because it affords all of us more time to fulfill our potential as human beings, and to be able to pass on our knowledge so that those who follow can build upon our accomplishments. To do this we must be able to live longer.
Typically those who are against antiaging efforts seem to take the view that life beyond a certain age is not worth living, and that it is a waste to squander healthcare resources on those who are old, rather than use them to help the young.
This “zero sum” game is a flawed view of antiaging, based on premises that are inherently false. People of ALL ages benefit from a proper antiaging program, because longevity is by definition “pro health!”
A Proactive Approach
Our current medical paradigm is one in which we wait for sickness or other medical problems to occur, then the health care system intervenes with expensive and often toxic treatments. This is a completely reactive system rather than proactive.
The antiaging approach attempts to slow down, stop, or even reverse some aspects of the aging process, and in doing so also maintains health and wellness. To live longer should also mean living healthier. This puts less demand on our medical system.
The secret of longevity is anticipating and preventing as many of the symptoms of aging as possible, thus ensuring that chronic illness is kept at bay. Again, this will create less demand for expensive health care services, and better quality of life for people.
Antiaging – It’s Up To YOU!
Society is slow to change and old attitudes often die hard. There are those in both government, and the medical system that are opposed to antiaging, due partly to ignorance, and also economic interest which emphasize expensive treatments.
It is up to the individual to seek the practitioners who are committed to true antiaging. For those individuals the efforts to seek out true alternatives to standard medical care will allow them to improve their quality of life as well as live longer.
The Human Nervous System and Antiaging
The Longevity Gene – Fact or Fiction