When he got to 60, Phil Daoust, the deputy editor of the Guardian’s G2 section, made a decision. He was happy, healthy and wanted to remain that way for as long as possible. As a young man he had been unconcerned with diet and exercise regimes, preferring long boozy lunches, pies and walking to the pub. Later, after a bout of depression, he began to get healthier, but he wanted more.
He realised he no longer feared old age and decided to try to live to be 100. He took inspiration from people nearing that age, such as John Starbuck, a 93-year-old who regularly spends his days at the gym and is a keen water polo player. With a strong community around him, he illustrates the importance of social connections in living longer.
Phil tells Helen Pidd how he began a strict exercise regime, increased his protein intake and improved his diet. He also had a brain scan and spoke to experts about how to stave off dementia. But, Helen asks, with a fitness regime that sounds as gruelling as a part-time job and food chosen only for nutritional value, is it all worth it?
Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian
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