When I engage in discussions with people about adopting a slow-aging lifestyle, I often receive this common question: “Doesn't maintaining habits like eating balanced meals, staying physically active, and prioritizing restful sleep become stressful, possibly leading to illness?” This question typically comes from those in their 20s and 30s, carrying the underlying notion that embracing life in the moment and releasing tension is more favorable. In fact, the opposite holds true. Healthy eating, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, sobriety, and mental clarity all have something in common: they can help lower the levels of stress hormones in your body.

In reality, chronic stress plays a significant role in accelerating aging unintentionally in our modern world. After a busy workday, during late afternoons, I catch myself mindlessly scrolling through my phone. Lost in distractions, jumping from one task to another, I sometimes wonder if I have dementia. The more I engage with these stimuli, the more I feel drained and downcast, even as my eyes remain fixed on the phone and thoughts of sugary, fatty foods and cold beer fill my mind. This harmful cycle leads to reduced physical activity, poorer sleep, and lower-quality food choices. Many of us can relate to such experiences nowadays.

Breaking free from this harmful cycle and creating a positive one that counteracts its impact hinges on embracing comprehensive lifestyle adjustments. Choosing a healthier way of living doesn't just reduce stress but also strengthens the body and mind, naturally slowing down the aging process.

However, the notion that a healthy lifestyle could potentially lead to illness does hold some truth. Just as an excess of anything good can become harmful, the fear of aging or illness, when taken to an extreme, can transform into an excessive fixation on every facet of life, leading to an overly disciplined and obsessive approach. Consequently, the overall quality of life begins to deteriorate.

This is exemplified by Mr. A, a man in his 60s who visited the clinic with a multitude of frustrations despite his efforts to maintain good health. Saying he feels tired all the time, he disclosed his routine of consistently consuming health-related media and devouring “anti-aging” literature. Despite having no particular underlying medical conditions, he strictly adhered to a plant- and grain-based diet and engaged in a two-hour daily walking regimen. His physique was notably thin, almost to the point of malnourishment. His daily routine involved taking a multitude of vitamins and supplements, a compilation that filled an entire page of his notebook. He said he didn't know why he felt so unhealthy when he was doing all the right things. Delving deeper into conversation, he shared that he had previously been overweight. Two years prior, he had been informed of being pre-diabetic and hyperlipidemic, which prompted him to shed almost 15 kilograms to avoid medication and he has been maintaining the weight loss. However, a comprehensive assessment unveiled a loss of not only muscle mass but also a significant decline in bone density. Basically, every aspect of his lifestyle appeared fine, but the approach had become imbalanced, leading to negative effects on his health. The most important advice for Mr. A was to restore a natural, balanced way of living.

A young man in his 20s or 30s who believes in living life to the fullest, and Mr. A who obsessively indulges in a supposedly healthy lifestyle, have one thing in common: the denial of aging. This attitude manifests itself as a stubborn rejection of a healthy, slow-aging lifestyle and is expressed in defense mechanisms such as "Don't think about the future, spend on your happiness in the present.” At some point, however, when the body and mind start to show signs of distress, the defense mechanisms are reversed, such as health concerns and excessive medical visits.

Scientists score positive and negative views of aging and use them in research. In a study involving young adults from New Zealand, it was observed that holding a negative view of aging correlated with generally poorer lifestyle habits, as well as inferior physical and mental health compared to their peers. The way you perceive aging can significantly impact your lifespan. Becca Levy, a Yale professor and author of "Breaking the Age Code," and her team conducted a study tracking 660 long-lived Americans for 23 years. Their findings revealed that individuals with a positive outlook on aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with a negative perspective. Furthermore, the study discovered that those with pessimistic perceptions of aging had elevated levels of stress hormones in their bloodstream. The magnitude of this reduction in life expectancy—7.5 years—is analogous to the impact of smoking a pack of cigarettes daily throughout one's life.

South Koreans enjoy one of the highest life expectancies and healthiest lifespans globally. However, data published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2020 unveils an intriguing contrast. Among individuals aged 15 and above, merely 31.5 percent rated their health as "very good" or "good." This figure is markedly lower than the OECD average of 68.5 percent. It's important to note that this self-assessment pertains to how people perceive their health, regardless of actual illness. For instance, if someone has health concerns despite not feeling particularly unwell, they might rate their health as subpar. This significant disparity between objective measurements like life expectancy and subjective evaluations of health underscores the prevalent negative perspective on aging in the average Korean mindset.

In fact, according to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's 2018 report on older adults, a staggering 80 percent of young adults harbored unfavorable stereotypes against older adults.

A lot of individuals tend to perceive aging as something to be evaded or eradicated. I frequently receive suggestions to develop TV shows centered around lifestyle practices that could eliminate aging, or write books discussing the scientific advancements that pledge to "combat "aging. However, this perspective doesn't quite capture the essence and, in fact, contributes to unfavorable notions about aging. Professor Becca Levy's research demonstrates that by encouraging people to adopt a positive perspective on aging for just 10 minutes, there were notable improvements in their memory, physical abilities, and even their will to live. If we embrace old age as a phase of fulfillment rather than rejection, it's possible that we could achieve sustainable aging as a society.

Jung Hee-won, a geriatric physician at Asan Medical Center, graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine and trained at Seoul National University Hospital. During his med-school days, while practicing the horn, he realized the importance of muscle maintenance and became interested in sarcopenia. His main research interests include frailty, sarcopenia and establishing age-friendly health systems for acute hospitals. This column was originally published in Chosun Ilbo in Korean on Aug. 30. --Ed.