The secrets of the centenarians

Want to live to 100? Of course you do, and science has a few suggestions to help you get there. There are the positive things you should be doing, such as eating well and exercising, and the negative things you should be avoiding, such as smoking and drinking too much. The top tip for birthday is maintaining an active social life, at least according to researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand. That means you don’t mope at home on your own but get out to meet family and friends, volunteer, attend social events such as concerts, or play golf. Yes, getting out and about is important, another research team agrees, and doing regular walking is another way to remain active. Living in an area where walking is easy—such as being close to parks and trails—is an important factor, say researchers at Washington State University’s Elson S Floyd College of Medicine. Then there are the things you should be avoiding. The big no-no is smoking, which isn’t so surprising, but having a history of divorce, and the stress it brings, can also take years off your life. Then there’s alcohol abuse and constant financial difficulties, which also influence longevity, say researchers at the University of British Columbia School of Kinesiology. Your genes are far less influential than you might think, and having a centenarian parent only increases your chances of reaching a similar great age by 20 percent. A much bigger factor is your gender. Women are more likely to celebrate their 100 birthday, researchers have discovered, and they made up 75 percent of the centenarians they studied. But these are simply observations after analysing the lives of hundreds of centenarians, the researchers all agree. There is still the X factor that no amount of science can tease out. Perhaps wanting to live that long is a good place to start.