Living Beyond 100

According to health guru Robert Pritikin, people used to check into his clinic only after they had "one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel." Today, from the halls of HMO's to the racks of magazine stands, the key word is "prevention" and a newly health-conscious society is looking more closely at medical breakthroughs, nutrition, exercise and vitamin and mineral supplements. Combining interviews with centenarians, scientists and those "on the way to 100," this poorly organized and somewhat repetitive hour nevertheless introduces viewers to some of the key controversies in longevity studies today. No longer convinced that lifespan is determined simply by genetics, researchers today are estimating that lifestyles choices may account for as much as 70% of the determining factors in how long we live disease-free. Although current controversial supplemental treatments such as melatonin and DHEA are only briefly mentioned, considerable attention is paid to human growth hormone replacement, a very questionable and costly (approx. $20,000 annually) anti-aging therapy with unknown long-term effects. In addition, the video does point out the one absolutely proven method of life extension--restricting caloric intake--and "the last resort" for those who want to gamble on having their strawberry cheesecake and eating it too: cryogenics, or being turned into a human popsicle until future scientists solve the aging problem (which is likely to occur). Although Living Beyond 100 is no great shakes as either documentary or instructional video, it does impart enough information and advice at a reasonable price to warrant recommending, especially given the popularity of the topic. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)