In less than a century, our life expectancy has nearly doubled. This is good news and we wish to enjoy those additional years in health and with undiminished mental and physical capacities. But what do we really know about the ageing process? It is generally held that ageing is part of an ineluctable biological process. Yet we now know that this is not entirely true and that we can have a major impact on the way we age — if we understand that time transforms the nature of living creatures but that the changes can be mastered. And if we take into account various signs and make use of all available tools, then a number of adjustments are possible. Christophe De Jaeger gives us a detailed introduction to some recent findings so that each person can transform his or her own longevity. In order to succeed we must change our self-image, realise the need to protect our health resources, and develop new habits in harmony with our bodies.

The author argues that we can all develop healthy reflexes — eating in a way that is adapted to our lifestyle, taking part in some form of energetic physical activity — to live better lives as well as longer ones.

The author shows how a responsible attitude can help us master ageing. His advice, which is simple and clear, is underscored by a fundamental notion: that our chronological age is an unreliable reflection of our biological age.

This new approach to a subject of general concern includes advice and useful information to help us improve our health resources: what we should know, what we can do.

A physician, physiologist and gerontologist of international renown, Christophe De Jaeger is one of the pioneers in France in the battle against the ageing process. He is the founder of the Société Française de Medecine du Vieillissement and of the Institut Européen du Vieillissement.