Scientists at the National Institute of Aging in Washington have found introductory evidence that suggests they might be able to develop a pharmaceutical that will increase the human life span, according to an Aug. 1, 2002, Associated Press article.
Let's all send them cookies, shall we?
With the expected natural human life span approaching 80 years and the Earth's resources steadily decreasing, I cannot help but wonder why scientists and doctors are continually researching ways in which to increase the life span, which is already significantly increased from decades ago.
Obviously, having raised the life span from, say, 50 to 80 years over the course of a century has not been a negative development. But there comes a time when enough is enough. We've reached that point and have perhaps already surpassed it.
A recent article in the New York Times (Aug. 26) estimated that the world's population will grow to eight billion by 2025 and states that the United Nations anticipates five billion of those people will be without an adequate supply of clean water. Currently, according to the article, two billion people are without such a supply.
With vital resources such as water already running dangerously low, why do we want to purposely add more people to the overpopulated world? If in 23 years over half of the Earth's population will be without drinking water, we should be looking at ways to curb population growth rather than expand it.
But let us not forget about the National Institute of Aging and its scientists' latest findings:
The research, headed by George S. Roth, has shown that consuming fewer calories daily may extend human life for an unknown period. Initial findings were obtained from a combination of studies conducted on rodents and monkeys coupled with an ongoing project on the human lifespan titled the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Thus far, research has been conclusive in finding that the lives of laboratory animals are increased by up to 40 percent when given fewer calories daily.
Having found the biological markers that trigger the increased life span (lower body temperature, lower insulin levels, and steady levels of steroid hormones), Roth and his scientists assume that they can mimic these traits in prescription drug form and market it.
There are a few things wrong here:
First and foremost, obviously, is the issue of overpopulation. Although it sounds harsh, there comes a time to die. There is no point in fearing it or trying to outrun it. It will happen. Even to you.
And think ahead; while adding five or even 10 years to your life might seem like a good idea at 30, imagine how you are going to feel when you are 75. Achy bones, sore muscles, stiff joints - now multiply that feeling by 10 more years. Yes, the drugs would slow the aging process as a whole, but there is only so much medicine can do.
Secondly, these scientists have taken potentially helpful research and twisted it in ways that are so contradictory they do not make any sense.
The purpose of the study was to find ways in which to extend human life.
Roth wants to market his findings in pill form so already-obese Americans can still eat themselves silly and live longer doing it. According to Roth, this is necessary because his findings suggest that restricting calories by 30 to 40 percent, which is not practical or healthy, is the minimum restriction necessary to extend one's life span.
Essentially, the people who take these pills will have their lives extended and will not necessarily be healthier (in all likelihood, they will not alter their poor eating habits at all), but instead, will be chemically engineered to age more slowly than normal.
Instead of spending what are undoubtedly millions of dollars (and starving rodents) to conduct frivolous research and present ineffectual findings, scientists should direct their energies toward research to finding cures for victims of cancer, AIDS and other terminal illnesses that continually kill people around the world.
Or maybe scientists will find a solution to world hunger and our inadequate water supply. When they solve all the Earth's woes and all the world's children can be fed, then I'll consider popping Roth's pill. Until then, he can keep it.
