Centenarians: Living to Be 100 Years Young!

"If you rest, you rust." The American actress, Helen Hayes, spoke these words of wisdom and lived not quite to 100 years of age, but an enviable 92. A very dear lady from my hometown, Nancy Barone, just became a centenarian this year. There was a lot of excitement in the air as most of us had never been close friends with a person who lived to be one-hundred. Talk about a milestone! As with most centenarians, Nancy never rested...

Her stories fascinate all ages. The younger set is amazed by the fact that women were actually not allowed to vote when Nancy was a young girl. This is what prompted her later to become active in political campaigns. She was born the year after Henry Ford's Tin Lizzy Model-T began to replace the horse and buggy. She's lived through all of the wars dating back to WWI. She was already twenty years old when the Great Depression took over the U.S.....and a mere 60 when men first landed on the moon forty years ago. According to the Lone Star College's American Cultural History , the life expectancy for females in the U.S. rose from 47, when she was born just after the turn of the century, to 79 in the 1990's. She bypassed it all! Ask her how she did it, and she'll tell you, as will most centenarians, "I didn't do anything special." My observations and investigations tell me, however, that she never let any grass grow under her feet. She was the first female to own a business in her hometown. Even when she was well into her 90's, she didn't miss an opportunity to scurry off to the senior center to visit or partake in a new hobby. Up until a few years ago, she was knitting beanies and selling them to a local skate shop. She was the first one at our 4^th of July gathering to be outside waiting for the fireworks. This seems to be the general pattern of those living for 100 years and beyond. Among other things, they are active.

Many centenarians have been interviewed through the years by those delving curiously into their secrets to longevity. The National Centenarian Awareness Project shares many humorous stories, quotes and facts. One fact is not a secret: According to the latest U.S. census, 4 out of 5 centenarians are women. 100-year olds each have their own take on why they've lived so long, but generally, the same characteristics seem to surface. First off, they stretch their brains with crossword puzzles, card games, jigsaws, and so on. Some of them, as in a current hula group in Hawaii, learn to dance. They decide to play musical instruments. They were generally able to maintain a constant weight throughout their lives. Most of them were not smokers. Even though they've always enjoyed social connections, they were thought of as being particularly self-reliant and independent throughout their lives. They obviously have managed to incorporate good coping skills as they've seen much during a century of time. A sense of purpose is often a recurring theme. That purpose can be simple or grandiose, but it always seems to be there. This optimism, as well as laughter, must play a huge part in living a long life.

Have you ever noticed how many comedians live to a ripe old age? George Burns (1896-1996) was asked how he kept in such great shape. He wittingly replied, "Junk food. At my age, I need all the preservatives I can get." Bob Hope, who passed away at 100 years old in 2003, quipped, "You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake." I think a sense of humor really must be a prerequisite ingredient for longevity.

Modern medical advances certainly play a huge part in prolonged existence. Centenarians represent a rapidly growing segment of the population, numbering over 450,000 worldwide today, as estimated by The Centenarian. According to Wikipedia the longest confirmed lifespan to date was that of Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who died at age 122. She did defy the odds when she gave up smoking for the second time at 119 years of age. She drank wine daily and ate chocolate once a week. She attributed her youthful appearance to the olive oil that she not only used in cooking, but also rubbed onto her skin every day. The second longest documented life was that of a 120 year old gentleman in Japan, and the third longest verified existence was that of a 119 year old woman in the U.S.

Consider that only a few thousand centenarians existed in the 1950's. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, there are over 96,000 centenarians in the United States alone, more than in any other single country. That number is considered a function of the large population from 1890-1910 along with the emergence of long-term care facilities. Wikipedia tells us that Japan is second with over 30,000. This is no surprise given Japan's diet staples of fish and rice and their attention to hygiene. Could their longevity also be related to the special respect that the Japanese show to their elderly? When one looks at the greatest percentage of centenarians per capita, however, France leads the pack. Could it be the red wine and garlic? Even though they consume a high fat cuisine in general, the French seem to eat very small portions and tend to savor each bite.

Do you think you'll be part of the American tradition of receiving a 100^th birthday letter from the President of the United States one day? Will you have your name announced on NBC's The Today Show? It is projected that in the year 2050, there will be 6 million centenarians. No longer then will 100 year olds be able to say that the best thing about being 100 is that there's no peer pressure! If you are curious as to your own chances of reaching age 100, take a look at Dr. Thomas Perl's website, www.livingto100.com. According to his site, it doesn't look like I'll be planning a 100^th birthday party. I sure hope though that Nancy Barone ends up being that one out of a thousand centenarians who moves up to super-centenarian status by reaching age 110. With her attitude, I'm thinking she just might. Buon Compleanno, Nancy!

Long Star College, "American Cultural History 1900-1909", Lonestar College Kingwood Library
Lynn Peters Adler, "Live to 100 and Beyond", National Centenarian Awareness Project
"About the Centenarian", The Centenarian
"Jeanne Calment", Wikipedia
"Centenarians in the U.S.", U.S. Census
Thomas Perls, MD, MPH, FACP, "Living to 100"