The centenarian club
The most dramatic increases have been in the number of people living to advanced old age. In 1900, only one out of every 100,000 people lived to be 100 years old; today, one out of every 8-10,000 people makes it to 100. Our population of centenarians is growing by 8% each year, as opposed to a growth rate of only 1% for the population at large. Today, there are 50,000 centenarians in the United States, but there are projected to be one million by the year 2050!
Life span predictions
Will the human life span continue to grow, until we have a country of Methusalahs? Probably not. Major increases in life expectancy in the early part of this century were due to decreases in the infant mortality rate, and advances in public health. But it has been more difficult to improve the survival rates of those with chronic diseases, which have dominated in modern times, and increases in life expectancy have been relatively flat over the past 10 years. Many aging experts project that the average human life span will not extend much beyond 85, without major breakthroughs in the biology of aging.
Besides, most people's reaction to the idea of living to 100 is, "no thanks", unless they can be guaranteed that they will be vigorous, active, and mentally intact 100 year olds. The goal of "adding life to years" rather than simply "adding years to life" is what most people hope for.
