Dr Hinohara

Last Friday I attended a talk given by a soon to be centurion, Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara. He has authored many books (200+) and has been influential in shaping Japan’s modern medical program. Amongst his many accomplishments is the development of the “Association for the New Elderly”. He argued that rather than be a burden to society, the elderly (75 years + in his definition) can continue to provide a positive contribution. A healthy lifestyle minimizes illness, therefore ensuring a higher quality existence. The mission of the society is two fold; first, to make sure younger generations understand the importance of world peace, and second, to transmit the goodness of their culture. I’ve always been fond of pleasant old people, so it’s no surprise that I found Dr. Hinohara charming. Despite the fact that he can no longer stand up straight, he has quite a spring to his step. However, you could sense the disappointment in the audience when one participant asked “what is the single most factor that one can do to ensure a long life?”. His answer, “Control your food intake. You should try to maintain the same weight you had at thirty years old”. Hoping for something exotic, for instance “do a shot of brandy ever day”, or “I do a headstand every night before bed”, "control your food intake" is probably the answer people LEAST want to hear. In reality, longevity is probably the outcome of many contributing factors. But, the Japanese are definitely doing something right because you see a lot of really old folks pushing their roller carts to the bus stop.