Living over 100 is certainly possible these days. Fact is, the centenarians are the fastest growing population throughout the world. But, what would that look like for you? To live to 100 or more. What will you have to do to be able to reach that goal? And most importantly, what quality of life will you have?

I find it fascinating to see young adults obsessed with living long lives and spending thousands of dollars each year on health products and treatments to do just that. Some influencers have spent millions of dollars for longevity. (I wonder how they can afford it. They must have sponsors.) Certainly, the majority of the population can’t afford thousands of dollars each month to try to live forever.

Why Do You Want To Live To Be Over 100?

Japan tops out at number one in having people over 100. Congratulations Japan! Japan’s centenarians are number at around 148,000. By 2054, the global centenarian population is projected to grow to nearly 4 million. 

This chart is taken from Pew Research Center:

	2024	PER	2054 PER
		10,000	10,000
Japan	TOTAL 146,000	PEOPLE TOTAL 12	PEOPLE 402,000 40
U.S.	108,000	3	513,000 14
China	60,000	<1	767,000 6
India	48,000	<1	402,000 2
Thailand	38,000	5	326,000

I recommend you take a look at their website.

The blue zone areas are where people over 100 are very healthy include: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, Calif., U.S.A.; and Ikaria, Greece.

I have to note that Loma Linda, CA is listed because of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Not because of the environment. Their lifestyle is the reason for long life.

It seems that the common denominator in all these areas are not only diet (mostly fruits and vegetables), but the social support these respected people have. They have close ties to family and community. They are active and spend time outdoors gardening. Moving the body is one of the most important things one can do. They play an important role in the family by contributing to the household chores like cooking and cleaning. Often they live in their own houses. Late nights are common offset by naps during the day.

It’s the social support they have from family, friends and community that plays a big difference in the quality of life for these individuals.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., the elderly are often isolated and ignored. As a former Home Health nurse, I witnessed this on a daily basis. Our elderly are abandoned and left to fend for themselves. (At least that’s my experience.) When I would go to the home, more often than not, the patients would be depressed and withdrawn. Once a home health aid was assigned to the patient, I saw a drastic change. Depression was either lessened or gone after about a month. The interaction with the staff made the patient feel like they mattered. As a result, their health improved.

It doesn’t make sense to what to live to be over 100 if your quality of life isn’t good. In the U.S. our medical establishment sets us up for failure. We are told that after 60 we will go “down hill” and there’s nothing that can be done about it. Indoctrination starts early in life and stays strong. One is told that at certain stages in life we will become weak, our mind will become feeble and that we need to be on numerous pills. Americans are feed this line of misinformation from a very early age. Maybe, just maybe, this is why our elderly are treated like lepers and feared. Not respected and revered like other countries.

What Quality Of Life Will You Have?

Do you want to end up living by a “thread” in a nursing home or adult foster care? Is it too late to have a quality of life? Let’s face it, quantity of life doesn’t mean anything without quality.

Stop listening to YouTubers telling you that if you eat this food or that food, you are poisoning yourself! If you listen to what they say you shouldn’t eat, then there’s nothing left to eat. Every day they have a different vegetable or fruit that will shorten your life. The thing is that they only tell you part of the truth.

Drop the processed foods and junk food. I’ve written several articles on this topic. Go back and look at them. Eat organic as much as possible. Don’t over eat. Listen to your body and stop eating when you feel satisfied, not when you’re full.

MOVE! Get up out of the chair and move! Fresh air and being in nature renews not only the body, but the soul. Grow something! Even if it’s a cactus, caring for plants brings a purpose to our lives. Not everyone can have a pet to care for. But, you can water a plant.

Make plans! Having something to look forward to is vital. Even if it’s just going to the grocery store. Be creative! Every person on earth has a creative side. Being creative isn’t about being able to draw (I have difficulty drawing a stick person) or playing a musical instrument. One might be creative in the kitchen. It’s easy to get in a rut cooking when you’re cooking only for yourself. However, you deserve to have a good meal and enjoy it. Try not to eat in front of the television. Make eating your meal special. You deserve to have quality in your life.

Have the curiosity of a child. Never stop wondering about things. Don’t stop asking questions Explore what’s around you.

Making plans for activities is essential. Look on line for activities your community has. Many are free. Your local library is a good start.

If you don’t do anything else, make up your bed. In doing that, you have accomplished one thing.

Your quality of life is up to you.

What Is The Impact Of Having Centenarians On Society?

Birth rates are plummeting worldwide. This is an article in itself. However, it’s not just one or two causes for this phenomenon. Having this knowledge gives us pause. With fewer children being born, who’s going to assist us when we do need help. If you live to be 100 or more chances are you have outlived most of your family. Fewer people means having fewer resources for help. This is something that has to be addressed.

What’s The Real Reason You Want To Live Forever?

Fear is a motivating factor in wanting to live a long life. People in general fear death. Why is that? That’s a personal question. One that you should think about. Religion tells us that death isn’t something to be feared. We will go to heaven if we have lived a righteous life. Science tells us there is no death. Everything is energy and energy can’t be destroyed.

It’s the unknown that we fear. This is a topic for another time.

In ending this article, I ask you to think about all the implications of living to be over 100 years old. Do I want to live to be over 100? I want to live life to the fullest. I want quality of life. I want to live until I don’t. So, I will just say that for me quality is more important than quantity.

Just live the fullest life as long as you can. The rest will take care of itself.