Healthy life expectancy is prioritized over longevity and longevity.
Dr. Eric Topol’s new book, Super Agers, separates myth from fact when it comes to living longer, healthier lives.
Death comes to us all. Even tech bros like Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Thiel. difference? Some people spend millions of dollars trying to avoid death whenever possible. Many people are also embarking on their own health and longevity journeys, buying product after product promoted on social media.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the U.S. wellness economy has grown to $2.1 trillion. But are all the efforts of these people in vain? What does the average person need to know to live as long and healthy a life as possible?
This is veteran technology journalist Carla Swisher’s new CNN series, “Cara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” April 11 at 9 p.m. (first aired on ET/PT, airs weekly), a series in which she tries out various wellness trends and products for herself (ketamine, hyperbaric chambers, red light therapy, to name a few) and chats with scientists like fellow techies Sam Altman and Brian Johnson. Jennifer Doudna, author and journalist Amy Larocca, and wellness enthusiast Scott Galloway, co-host of the podcast Pivot. Swisher’s father died of a brain aneurysm in his 30s, which sparked her interest in the subject. She also suffered a stroke 15 years ago.
Main takeaway: Be skeptical. While some wellness innovations may sound exciting, keep in mind that they don’t always provide as much specific information as they claim. CRISPR gene editing, sickle cell anemia treatments, and GLP-1 are real innovations, not TikTok ads promoting random supplements. Additionally, research shows that human connection is a major pillar of living a healthy life, even if it’s not as sexy as slipping on your goggles and letting red light therapy flow into your pores.
She advocates following research-backed medical advice, such as measles vaccination, rather than fad treatments often promoted by “charlatans who promise things they can’t deliver.”
“I want to spend more money helping people.”
Swisher visits longevity enthusiast Johnson’s home in an episode of the series and shows her how he spends $2 million a year on his quest for longevity. It could be anything from dozens of supplements every day to a hyperbaric chamber at home. We are constantly monitoring his health. He’s invested heavily in longevity and has garnered widespread attention for his “Don’t Die” movement.
“There’s a lot of controversy around him,” she says. “But I think he’s rather gentle in some ways, like his obsession with measurements, like he’s essentially a search for meaning, what’s going on.” Johnson sells the Longevity Protocol “Blueprint,” and while Swisher is “always wary of people handing out supplements when giving advice,” he thinks Johnson has good intentions.
That said, “I think he’s spending a lot of time doing things that he might later regret in terms of time spent, but that’s also something he can do because of his trip around the sun. If I were him, I’d spend more money to help more people.” But Swisher points out that Johnson likely thinks that’s what he’s doing by collecting data on longevity. But most of that data pertains only to him, she points out, so she doesn’t believe he’s really improving society as he says.
Tech moguls like Jeff Bezos, Thiel and Zuckerberg are not as advanced as Johnson, but Swisher questions financial investment in anti-aging and longevity research. “As much as they want to go to Mars, they’re tied to Earth,” she said on the show. “They’re so desperate that they hang on to life without talking about their quality of life and what they’re doing for people.”
“Confusing data with actual information”
Swisher has broader questions about the wellness industry’s focus on measurements through wearable devices that track what we eat, sleep, exercise, and how it affects our bodies. For example, what does it mean when your phone or watch tells you that you have completed your 10,000 step goal? actually tell me?
“Without actual instructions, the numbers are meaningless,” she says. “It’s just a lot of data. I think they’re confusing data with real information.” People should consult a medical professional to find the ideal goals for their bodies. For example, a goal of achieving 10,000 steps a day may not actually be an accurate longevity indicator. For example, research shows that the goal for better longevity is 7,500 steps.
The best part of being alive for Kara Swisher
Like many people, Swisher has thought about how he would like to die. She wants to know what’s going on. She also couldn’t help but think of Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011. Mr. Jobs died looking up at the ceiling and saying, “Wow, wow, wow.”
“The other day, everyone was around me and I just wanted to look up and say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ And then I die,” she jokes.
What is her favorite part of being alive? her four children. “Just having them around and thinking about their lives after me is really, really moving.”
Human relationships. Something you can’t get from your own infinite measurements.
