B2 – Upper Intermediate
Getting older is inevitable, but our diet and lifestyle play a huge role in how we look and feel along the way. Aging doesn’t necessarily mean getting sick or feeling less than our best — if we pay attention to a few key factors and make a few important shifts, we can age healthfully and feel as optimal as possible.
Read the article and be able to answer the following questions.
Specific social behaviors and lifestyle choices affect aging. For example, if you smoke, then you will likely get dry, rough skin. There are wrinkles around the lips that come with smoking too. Or if you frequently suntan, then your skin will eventually become leathery. You’ll also develop much deeper wrinkles around the eyes. Stress can lead to dark circles beneath the eyes too. And that’s just your physical appearance, as smoking, sun, and stress affect your unseen inside. However, scientists could only guess how large the effects might be, at least until now.
Scientists have turned to identical twins. They are closely examining the lifestyles of the siblings to determine and better measure which social behaviors affect physical and mental health. These twins start as exact copies of one another, yet differences accumulate through the years. Photos show just how obvious lifestyle choices affect the outward appearance of the body. There are internal differences too. The study is currently examining 186 pairs of twins.
It should be noted that positive lifestyle choices are also being recorded. Diets with a lot of fruits and vegetables are compared to less healthy diets, for example. Scientists are also looking at the amount of exercise the twins get, the amount of stress in their lives, and if their outlook is positive or negative. Each adds or subtracts years from a person’s life, as well as their overall healthfulness.
The ultimate goal is to one day discover the fountain of youth. This would allow humankind to double or triple their lifespan. In all likelihood, the near-future breakthroughs will add a decade or two. Twins may hold an important piece to an immense and very difficult puzzle.
Source: headsupenglish.com
Discussion Questions:
- How concerned are you with aging? Please explain.
- Do members of your family live long and healthy lives? Please explain.
- What lifestyle choices have you made that have had negative effects?
- What lifestyle choices have you made that have had positive effects?
- If humans could double their lifespan, would it be a good idea? Why/not?