Gerontologist Jay Olshansky is used to backlash about his views on human longevity. Decades ago he and his coauthors predicted children, on average, would live to only age 85 — only 1 per cent to 5 per cent might survive until their 100th birthday.

Many recoiled from his splash of cold reality, Olshansky said, having grown accustomed to predictions that 50 per cent of babies would live to 100.

“In 1990, we predicted increases in life expectancy would slow down, and the effects of medical interventions, which we call Band-Aids, would have less and less of an effect on life expectancy,” said Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

“A lot of people disagreed with us. They said, ‘No, no, NO!’ Advances in medical and life-extending technologies will accelerate and will drag life expectancy along with it,” he said.

Now, 34 years later, Olshansky says he and his coauthors have proven their point. Their analysis of lifespan data from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States was published Monday in the journal Nature Aging.

Overall, female children born in 2019 in these places have a 5.1 per cent chance of reaching 100 years of age, the study said. There is only a 1.8 per cent chance for males.

“We waited 30 years to test our hypothesis. We have shown the era of rapid increases in human life expectancy has ended, just as we predicted,” Olshansky said.

“Now, I want to make sure that this is interpreted correctly,” he added. “We’re still gaining life expectancy, but it’s at an increasingly slower pace than in previous decades.”

Olshansky spoke to CNN about his analysis of longevity data.

This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.  

CNN: Many people say it’s a given humans will soon be able to live to 120, even 150 years of age. How do you reconcile your findings with those predictions?

Olshansky: Those are all made up numbers. There is no way to empirically verify claims of radical life extension that are being made by folks in this industry.

In our paper we say, “Please, stop exaggerating. These are untestable scientific hypotheses.” Only one woman has made it to her 122nd birthday and that’s it.

(That woman, Jeanne Calment, was born in 1875 in Arles, France, at a time when life expectancy was nearly 45 years. She died 122 years and 164 days later in 1997, despite a life of smoking and drinking port.)

Aging is currently immutable — it’s the decline of your cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that currently can’t be stopped. It is a byproduct of operating the machinery of life.

If you expose enough people in a population to the immutable force of aging, you run up against a roadblock that makes it difficult to achieve further gains in life expectancy, and that’s where we are now. You can continue to make progress against major diseases, but it’s not going to have the life-extending effect that people think — in fact, it will have a diminishing effect.

This is a consequence of success. It is not a consequence of failure. It’s a consequence of allowing people to live long enough to experience the biological process of aging, which now is the dominant risk factor.

The only way we can break through this glass ceiling of longevity is if we slow the biological process of aging.

CNN: During the past 30 years, obesity and associated diseases like type 2 diabetes have become widespread. What role did this play in slowing the march toward longevity?

Olshansky: Yes, we had this rather dramatic rise in obesity in the population, and obesity leads to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other conditions. My colleagues and I published a paper in 2005 suggesting this will be the first generation of children to live a shorter lifespan than their parents due to obesity.

In response, medical science has created a broad range of rather remarkable life-extending technologies designed to treat the consequences of obesity, diabetes, heart disease — drugs like statins, antibiotics and vaccines, surgical procedures, devices to detect disease and early treatments for all of these diseases. They work. They have been absolutely remarkable.

The modern era is filled with people living into their 70s, 80s, and a few in their 90s and beyond, almost all of whom are living on time that has been manufactured by medical technology — manufactured time that physicians across the globe have created for us.

The longevity game that we’re playing now is Whac-A-Mole. Each mole represents a different disease, and the older you get, the more moles there are, and the faster they come up.

If you open up older bodies, you will see multiple diseases that exist, any one of which could take out these individuals. And these diseases that are appearing are associated with the underlying process of senescence — aging, the aging of our cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that is immutable.

But let’s say we reverse those diseases, eliminate obesity and smoking, it’s still not going to have much of an impact on life expectancy because many of the negative consequences of having these conditions have already been ameliorated through pharmaceuticals or through surgical procedures of one kind or another.

We would be a whole lot healthier, of course. Health span would improve significantly if we can get off of these medications and get rid of this excess weight and stop smoking and eliminate the exposure to or reduce exposure to sun and eliminate drugs, but that’s not really going to happen in the real world.

CNN: The arguments that humans will live to 150 or more are based on work that’s being done with animals. While it’s true mice are not people, does this work give you hope?

Olshansky: There is reason to be optimistic that a second longevity revolution is approaching. Researchers are succeeding in slowing biological aging in fruit flies, worms, mice and primates, offering humanity a second chance at altering the course of human survival.

That’s what geroscience is. The door is wide open for us to alter the basic biological process of aging. However, some researchers have taken the results of these animal models and have assumed that if you can double or triple the lifespan of a mouse, you can double or triple the lifespan of a human.

I have no doubt that we can extend the lifespan of these shorter-lived species, but there is no evidence that it translates into an equivalent increase in life expectancy for humans. Is it likely to make us live longer? Yes. Do we know by how much? No.

The metric of success should not be lifespan extension. It should be health span extension. This is something we can measure, and this is something we all desire. In fact, I would argue that health span is the most precious commodity on Earth and we are in the business of manufacturing as much of it as we can.

If we don’t find a way to modulate aging and we only use the toolbox that we have now, which is treating one disease at a time, we may not like what we see going forward.  We may get incremental improvements in life expectancy, but we may also get an increase in frailty and disability because we’re trading off one set of diseases for another.

Remember, death is a zero sum game. One thing goes down, something else goes up, and the fear is that we’re going to replace cancer and cardiovascular disease with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other serious health challenges that we can’t currently modify. So we have to be careful what we wish for and what we manufacture going forward, because life extension without health extension would be harmful.

When you think of a meal, are vegetables the forgettable side character or the villain?

What if they could be the star of the show?

“Eat more vegetables,” doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it’s hard to do, because they aren’t excited about veggies or just don’t like them.

A lot of people’s first experience with vegetables in childhood is having them steamed, and while steaming works well for some veggies, they don’t all taste their best that way, said Caroline Chambers, author of the new cookbook “What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking.”

Learning to love vegetables might mean expanding your understanding of the possibilities when it comes to cooking them, she added.

And though you might want to stick with your one favorite vegetable all year round, plants really do taste better — and can be more fun — when eaten in their right season, said Chambers, who is based in Carmel Valley, California.

Fortunately, Chambers specializes in making food fun and exciting without much fuss. She started her career as a caterer, then became a recipe developer. Once the Covid-19 pandemic hit and people were stuck at home, she started posting recipes online that are easy to make with what you already have.

And making vegetables the part of the meal you are excited about doesn’t take much work, she said.

With a full harvest of colder-month produce in the grocery store, here is how you can fall in love with vegetables.

How you cook those vegetables

If you think the plants on your plate are a “have to have” dish and not a “want to have” one, it might be because you aren’t cooking them right, Chambers said.

“I think vegetables have more flavor than meat in many cases when they’re just prepared properly,” she added.

In the fall and winter, roasting is one of the best methods of getting a great vegetable dish, said Chambers, who shares recipes on Instagram and hosts the podcast “So Into That.”

“Summer vegetables are delicious raw. Corn, green beans, tomatoes –– all of those things are delicious, either raw or with like three minutes of cooking,” she said. (The same is not true, she noted, for brussels sprouts, butternut squash and sweet potatoes.)

“To get those things to taste really delicious, you have to roast them at a really high temperature for longer than you think,” she added.

When roasting veggies, the trick is to keep your oven between about 400 degrees Fahrenheit to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 to 40 minutes and even longer for squash, Chambers said.

Roasting at higher temperatures helps you get the right texture, taking out the sulfur taste from brussels sprouts and giving squash a sweet caramelization, Chambers said.

“I don’t want any roasting to happen in the 300 (Fahrenheit range). I want 400 and above for 35 bare minimum minutes, probably closer to 450,” she added.

What you are looking for

How do you know when you have it right? Texture can be a good indicator.

The crispy outside is nice, but it is important to pair that with a tender inside when it comes to these winter vegetables, Chambers said.

“That’s where the high heat comes into play,” she said. “Having them up above 400 helps the exterior get a little bit crispy, so that contact with the sheet pan will get the exterior of the brussels sprouts nice and crispy, while the inside is like tender and melts in your mouth.”

You can turn your vegetables to get them to cook evenly, but Chambers finds she often doesn’t need to do so. Instead, she lets the side touching the pan get extra crispy.

Toward the end of roasting, she likes to keep the oven light on and check in frequently, she said.

“Once the edges start to get golden brown, they’ll go from golden brown to black very quickly,” she added.

Spice it up

After you have your vegetables cooked just right, make them the star of the show with some flavor.

It doesn’t have to be much work, Chambers said. A little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic go a long way — or use store-bought sauces to make your weeknight evenings easy and exciting.

A green goddess dressing — which typically contains ingredients such as a cream, herb mix and lemon ­­— or premade pesto can add brightness to a variety of dishes, she said.

Harissa paste is easy to find in most grocery stores and has flavors such as garlic, lemon, olive oil and chili already in it, she added.

“You’re getting this cheater shortcut ingredient and not having to do all of that yourself,” Chambers said. “Just lean into the easy store-bought super flavorful things and serve it with that.”

Harissa Roasted Veggies

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

● 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas

● 1 pound medium carrots

● 1 large red onion

● 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

● 2 tablespoons harissa plus more for serving

● 2 teaspoons honey

● 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more

● 1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese

● ½ plain full-fat Greek yogurt

● Zest and juice from ½ lemon

● Handful of fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, dill, cilantro, basil or a mix

● Handful of toasted nuts, or ¼ cup toasted seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Dump the chickpeas into a colander. Drain them but do not rinse.

3. Arrange a few layers of paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet, then pour the drained chickpeas on top. Use another paper towel to pat them dry. Discard all the paper towels, then shake the chickpeas into an even layer. There will be some chickpea skins on the baking sheet now — no need to pick them out. They’ll roast up into crispy little bits and be delicious.

4. Cut the carrots on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick slabs and thinly slice the onion. Add the carrots, onion, olive oil, harissa, honey and 1 teaspoon salt to the chickpeas and toss to coat well.

5. Roast until the carrots are golden on the outside but fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processer, combine the feta and yogurt. Zest and juice the lemon into the blender and add a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, 30 to 45 seconds. If it’s too thick and your blender is having a hard time mixing, add a bit of water, a splash at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

7. Chop the herbs and nuts.

8. Remove the roasted veggies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Taste the veggies and add more salt as needed. Stir in the herbs.

9. Spread a nice spoonful of whipped feta over the bottom of a bowl or plate and top it with a pile of roasted veggies and a sprinkle of nuts. Add another dollop of harissa on top if you love spice.

Shortcut: Skip the whipped feta and just crumble some feta on top. Find pre-chopped butternut squash or sweet potatoes at the grocery store and use them instead of carrots.

Pesto alternative: Omit the harissa and honey, and instead toss a big spoonful of store-bought pesto into the veggies after they have roasted. Serve with burrata instead of whipped feta.

Editor’s note: Adapted from “What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking” by Caroline Chambers. Published by Union Square & Co.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?