Lean Living
Even among diehard Calorie Restriction believers, severely limiting calories is an unsavory proposition. Scientists are working on developing other painless methods that mimic the beneficial effects of a Spartan diet. Researchers are studying resveratrol, a compound in red wine, that may trick the body into thinking it’s starving. But results so far are ambiguous. Obese mice seem to live longer on resveratrol, but lean mice don’t. Rapamycin, a drug used in organ transplants, has also boosted the life span of mice, but it suppresses the immune system, which runs the risk, paradoxically, of causing illness and death.
If these more palatable methods fail and a harsh diet proves the most promising strategy for living longer, it’s still unlikely that Americans will jump on the CR bandwagon. After all, it’s not only a hungry life, it’s potentially a very lonely one. Eating with friends and family and dining in restaurants gets stressful when counting calories is a matter of life and death. And shrunken bodies and libidos bode poorly for romantic relationships. Whether the extra years are worth the diligence and depravation might depend on how they’re spent.
Updated February 25, 2010
