Discover practical insights and inspiring stories from Ken Stern, author of Healthy to 100, on how social ties, lifelong learning, intergenerational engagement, and innovative policies can promote longevity and well-being. This episode explores groundbreaking research and global best practices to help you age actively, purposefully, and connected.

About Ken

Ken Stern is a nationally recognized expert on longevity andaging. He is the founder of the Longevity Project and hosts the popular “Century Lives” podcast from the Stanford Center on Longevity. Stern is a best-selling author and has been a frequent contributor to a wide variety of publications including Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and Slate. He is also the former CEO of NPR. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Key Takeaways

• A person is Seattle or Chicago is now likely to live afull decade less in good health than someone in Tokyo or Singapore.
• Humans are evolutionarily bred to want to be part of a group and see loneliness as a risk. Loneliness has a direct biological impact on your health, roughly equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
• Japan, Singapore, Korea, Italy, and Spain have made social health infrastructure a part of public health policy, especially for older adults. Each has a different approach that is reflective of their own culture and values.
• You are actively engaged with people when you are social. If you are socially disconnected, you're likely stuck at home, not moving, and not getting social cues from others about how to take care of yourself.
• In Korea lifelong learning is a constitutional right. Learning in community is important. Lots of people in the U.S consider themselves lifelong learners, but they often learn online or in a solitary way.
• An organization called the Silver Genzai Human Resources, represents a million Japanese older workers, age 65 to about 102, placing them in part-time work.
• Plunging birth rates and declining immigration in this USare constricting the traditional labor force. American corporations should be thinking ahead but are stuck in the idea that younger workers are smarter, cheaper, and more technologically savvy.
• Many cultures value intergenerational relationships because they benefit both young people and older adults. One of the strongestpredictors of success for at-risk youth is having a positive relationship with an older adult outside their immediate family. Creating opportunities for different generations to connect supports healthier outcomes for all.
• The idea of segregating generations is a weird Americanism that you don't see elsewhere. Countries like Singapore are getting rid of senior centers and replacing them with centers for all ages.