Letters to the Editor
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It's about vitality, however you achieve it
I ghostwrote the book "How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life" by Art Linkletter and Mark Victor Hansen (buy a copy and slide a quarter into a po' writer's pocket, wouldja?), and in the research for that book, I found many things that contributed to a long vitality. That's the issue: living until 100 and dancing the tango until 98, then declining fast with no time for the humiliation of identity loss or lameness.
Exercise, balanced diet, weight control, having a purpose, keeping a sharp and active mind, having a circle of friends--all have been proven to extend the vital time of life. While CR may extend the quantity of life, it does not necessarily extend its quality, and it does not address the major issues of attitude, sense of passion and purpose, or mental and brain health that also affect length and quality of life.
CR is one approach to a critical question: how do we live as long and well as possible? It's not the only answer.