Who's afraid of a 100-year life? Here's a roadmap

Only 25% of ageing is genetic; the rest relates to the choices one makes about how one lives and the environment

Genevieve Cua

Published Sun, Nov 17, 2019 · 09:50 PM

DOES the prospect of living to 100 sound daunting to you? It does to me. Two London Business School professors - co-authors of the best selling book "The 100-Year Life" - believe it's because most of us have the wrong ideas about ageing.

Whatever we feel about the prospect of a very long life, the demographic trend of longevity is compelling. In the past three to four weeks, Professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott each delivered separate talks in Singapore on longevity. Prof Gratton spoke at a Fidelity International conference on the longevity economy and more recently, Prof Scott in an event hosted by Prudential.

Their talks pack a punch: Today's generation in their 40s and 50s stand a good chance of living to their 90s and beyond. The conventional way of thinking about life in three phases tied to age - education from childhood to early 20s, working life until 60s and then a very long retirement - is breaking down. In fact, it is increasingly untenable.