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Summary
In episode 733, Coach Allan talks with Ken Stern, founder of the Longevity Project, host of the Century Lives podcast from the Stanford Center on Longevity, former CEO of NPR, and author of Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives. Stern explains that living to 100 has shifted from science fiction to real possibility: when he was born in 1963 there were roughly 2,000 centenarians in the United States, and today there are over 100,000, with projections of 400,000 by mid-century. His book argues that the biggest lever for a long, healthy life is not diet or exercise but social connection. Citing the loneliness crisis declared by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and research out of BYU, he notes that being lonely can be as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, driving chronic stress, inflammation, heart disease, and cancer right down to the cellular level.
Stern and Allan explore how outdated life gateways (learn until 21, work until 65, then retire) have not kept pace with longer lives, and why lifelong learning, intergenerational relationships, and staying engaged protect both brain and body. Stern shares the book’s origin in Presidio, Texas, one of the poorest yet longest-lived counties in the country, where multigenerational families living side by side, not healthcare or diet, explained the longevity, part of what researchers call the Hispanic paradox. They also discuss ageism, including Becca Levy’s finding that people with positive views of aging live about 8 years longer, and Allan’s own plans as he turns 60 with a new grandson. Stern closes with practical strategies for building connection: volunteering, lifelong learning, intergenerational living, working longer, treating social ties as a core health strategy, and not letting technology replace face-to-face contact.
Links
- The Longevity Project
- Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives by Ken Stern
- Get Healthy to 100 on Amazon
Key Takeaways
- Social connection is a top-tier health factor: Research from BYU finds loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, driving chronic stress, inflammation, heart disease, and cancer.
- Living to 100 is now realistic: The United States went from roughly 2,000 centenarians in 1963 to over 100,000 today, with about 400,000 projected by mid-century.
- Lifelong learning protects brain and builds friendships: It takes about 50 hours near someone to make a friend and 200 to make a close one, and active minds build cognitive reserve against dementia.
- Intergenerational relationships extend life: In Presidio, Texas, one of the poorest but longest-lived counties, multigenerational families living side by side, not diet or healthcare, explained the longevity.
- How you view aging shapes how long you live: Becca Levy of Yale found people with positive ideas about aging live on average about 8 years longer.
- Build connection on purpose: Volunteer, keep learning, live near multiple generations, keep working in some form, and do not let technology replace face-to-face contact.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 737 – Beat the aging culprits with Eilene Kopsaftis
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 733
Published: 2026-02-10
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Ken Stern, a nationally recognized expert on longevity and aging, Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)