A new book from an Oxford academic is sparking debate by challenging the foundations of the anti-ageing industry and many common beliefs about human longevity. Saul Justin Newman, a research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Population Ageing, argues in his debut book, 'Morbid', that the pursuit of immortality has created a fertile ground for 'misleading claims, mistaken assumptions, and outright chicanery' within the science of ageing.
Newman's central premise suggests that our inherent fear of frailty and death has made us susceptible to exploitation by those offering remedies for youthfulness. He contends that the longevity industry, often fronted by medical professionals, frequently monetises public anxieties with promises of extended vigour, sometimes through expensive and unproven treatments. This critique extends to the very records of the world's oldest people, which Newman claims are often unreliable.
The book delves into specific examples to support its allegations. Newman highlights the case of Jiroemon Kimura, who was once recognised as the world's oldest man, dying in Japan in 2013 at 116. Newman's research reportedly uncovered inconsistencies in Kimura's demographic records, including multiple names, birthdays, and wives, without corresponding divorce records. He suggests this pattern of record-keeping issues is not isolated, but rather a recurring theme in extreme longevity cases.
Even more concerning are the claims regarding population-level inaccuracies. Newman references a 2010 scandal in Tokyo where Sogen Kato, officially aged 111, was discovered to have been dead for decades, with relatives allegedly claiming his pension. This incident prompted a nationwide investigation by Japan’s Ministry of Justice, which reportedly found that over 82% of individuals listed as over 100 years old were either deceased or 'missing'. Similar discrepancies were reportedly found in Greece, where a 2012 clean-up of public records revealed over 9,000 individuals listed as centenarians were actually dead, with many existing only on paper for pension fraud.
These findings have significant implications for the concept of 'Blue Zones' – specific geographical areas, such as Okinawa in Japan and Ikaria in Greece, celebrated for their purportedly high concentrations of centenarians and exceptional late-life survival rates. Newman's research directly challenges the veracity of such claims, suggesting that the statistical basis for these zones may be flawed due to inaccurate population data. If the underlying data for these regions is compromised, it calls into question the widely publicised lifestyle factors often attributed to their residents' longevity.
The book's provocative assertions, made by a research fellow from a respected institution, aim to provoke a re-evaluation of how longevity research is conducted and consumed. It serves as a stark warning against uncritically accepting claims, particularly those with a commercial interest, in an area as emotionally charged as ageing and health.