2017-04-22 Want to live past 100? Centenarians share their secrets

By Sharon Jayson

Gertrude/'ɡə:tru:d/Siegel is 101 and hears it all the time. “Everyone says ‘I want to be just like you.’ I tell them to get in line,” she said.

John and Charlotte/ˈʃɑrlət/Henderson/'hendəsn/, 104 and 102, often field questions from wannabes/ˈwɑnəˌbi/eager/'igɚ/to learn their secrets.

“Living in moderation/'mɑdə'reʃən/,” he said. “We never overdo anything. Eat well. Sleep well. Don’t overdrink. Don’t overeat. And exercise regularly/ˈr ɛɡjəlɚlɪ/.”

Mac Miller/ˈmɪlɚ/, who is 102, has a standard reply.

“People ask me ‘What is the secret?’ The answer is simple. Choose the right grandparents/'ɡrænd,pεərənt/. They were in their 80s. My mother was 89, and my father was 93,” he said.

Genetics and behaviors do play roles in determining why some people live to be 100 or older while others don’t, but they aren’t guarantees. And now, as increasing numbers are reaching triple/'trɪpl/digits, figuring out the mysteries of longevity/lɔn'dʒɛvəti/has taken on new importance among researchers.

Although those 100 and older make up a tiny segment of America’s population, U.S. Census reports show that centenarian/ˌsɛntɪ'nɛrɪən/ranks are growing. Between 1980 and 2010, the numbers rose from 32,194 to 53,364, an increase of almost 66 percent. The latest population estimate/'ɛstə,met/, released in July 2015, reflects 76,974 centenarians.

“The number of centenarians in the U.S. and other countries has been doubling roughly/'rʌfli/every eight years,” said James/dʒeimz/Vaupel, founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic/ˌdɛmə'ɡræfɪk/Research/'risɝtʃ/in Rostock/'rɔstɔk/, Germany/'dʒə:məni/.

“When the baby boomers/'bumɚ/hit, there’s going to be acceleration/ək'sɛlə'reʃən/, and it might be doubling every five or six years,” he said.

Henderson and his wife of 77 years live in Austin/'ɔ:stin/in the independent living section of Longhorn Village, a community of more than 360 seniors/'sinɪɚ/, many of whom have ties/taiz/to the University of Texas at Austin. Henderson is UT’s oldest-living former football player, arriving in 1932 as a freshman. They’re the only centenarians in the complex and are a rare/rɛr/breed/brid/: married centenarians/ˌsɛntɪ'nɛrɪən/.