Secrets of the Superyoung : The Scientific Reasons Some People Look Ten Years Younger Than They Really Are--And How You Can, Too

The perpetually young are different from you and me, suggests Dr. Weeks. Yes, you may be tempted to reply, they're luckier. And, indeed, in reporting on his extensive studies of why some people appear many years younger than their chronological age, Dr. Weeks does note that it helps to have the right genetics (choose your parents wisely, in other words). But there's more to it than that: People whose age is routinely underestimated by a decade or more also tend to make different lifestyle choices (more exercise and adventure, more sleep, less television), reproduce less (about 15 percent remain childless), and cope better with stressful life events.

Surprisingly, Dr. Weeks didn't find that the eternally youthful were teetotalers or ascetics. Yes, a somewhat large percentage were vegetarians, and just 1 in 20 smoked, but he also found hard drinkers and major meat eaters among his "superyoung." He also found somewhat goofy distinctions. For example, being shorter makes people assume you're younger than you are (time to get rid of those elevator shoes).

There's a lot of advice you can follow here regarding health and fitness (improve your posture and you decrease your apparent age) and style (it helps to have some). And Dr. Weeks isn't afraid to say there are disadvantages to appearing a lot younger than you are: People take you less seriously in many professions, and there's a distinct chance you'll embarrass your children by appearing to be one of them rather than one of their progenitors. If those are tradeoffs you can live with, then this is the book for you.