"Super-Aging": What's the key to living to 100, and what do longer lifespans mean for society?
BOSTON - In 1960, the average American life expectancy was 69.7 years. Today, it's 79.1 years and heading toward a projected 85+ years in 2060.
So what are the implications of people living longer for our culture, our economy and more? That's the focus of a new book "The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging" by longtime New England Associated Press editor William J. Kole and Sunday's guest on "Keller @ Large."
Is there a secret to living to 100?
Everyone wants to know, what's the key to living to 100?
"Well honestly it's a little inconvenient, the truth here - it's genes. Genes play a huge role," Kole said.
But there are things people can do to optimize their genetic gifts, in addition to a good diet and exercising.
"Positivity is a huge, huge player in getting to 100 and getting their in good shape," he said.
Kole said ageism is a huge problem in the United States and around the world, but senior citizens do wield a lot of political power
"Full-blown gerontocracy"
"We are on the verge of being a full-blown gerontocracy in the United States, if we're not already," Kole said. "We've got the oldest Congress we've ever had. . . half of the country is under the age of 40. Only 5% of Congress is."
Kole said one thing that surprised him when researching the topic was the racial and economic inequities in aging.
"White people get more time, rich people get more time. These feel like gaps that we need to close," he said.
Watch the full Keller @ Large interview in the video player above.