Becca Levy

Prescription for a Longer (and Healthier) Life

Paul Irving, Freda Lewis-Hall, Becca Levy, Loretta DiPietro, Patricia Boyle, Jeff Hogan, Byron Boston, Laura Ladd

Experts advocating a lifelong "platform" model for healthy aging emphasize that positive age stereotypes and a sense of purpose can extend survival by 7.5 years and significantly delay cognitive decline. Despite these findings, systemic barriers such as a medical budget skewed 90% toward treatment and a three-decade gap in public perception hinder the adoption of preventive strategies. To overcome these challenges, leaders recommend integrating early education on aging, designing age-neutral communities, and accelerating the translation of scientific data into immediate policy shifts.