Think aging is all about losing your memory and becoming hard of
hearing? Think again. Many people sail through the aging process
without walkers or pacemakers. In fact, researchers now believe
it's those age-related diseases—diabetes, heart disease, cancer,
stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's—that leave us frail or
disabled, rather than the normal aging of our bodies. Consider
this: The vast majority of those who live to be 100 are able to
live independently on their own well into their 90's, and about
15 percent of them have no age-related diseases even after they
hit the century mark, according to the New England Centenarian
Study. Here are some other common myths about aging. 1. Losing
those few extra pounds will extend your life. Once you hit 75,
carrying a little extra weight can be protective. The Baltimore
Longitudinal Study of Aging, a 50-year ongoing study involving
3,000 seniors, has shown that older folks who have a body mass
index of 27—about 154 pounds for a 5-foot-4 woman—live longer
than everyon