Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|1982 book by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw}}

{{italic title}}

{{Infobox book

| name = Editing Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach

| image = Life Extension - A Practical Scientific Approach cover.jpg

| caption =

| author = [[Durk Pearson]],<br>[[Sandy Shaw (writer)|Sandy Shaw]]

| illustrator =

| cover_artist =

| country = USA

| language = English

| series =

| release_number =

| subject = [[longevity]]

| genre =

| publisher = [[Warner Books]]

| publisher2 =

| pub_date = {{start date and age|1982}}

| published =

| media_type =

| pages = 858

| awards =

| isbn = 0-446-51229-X

| isbn_note =

| oclc =

| dewey =

| congress =

| preceded_by =

| followed_by = The Life Extension Companion

}}

'''''Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach''''' is a 1982 book ({{ISBN|0-446-51229-X}}) by [[Durk Pearson]] and [[Sandy Shaw (writer)|Sandy Shaw]] that popularized the [[life extension]] and [[Nootropic|smart drug]] movements.<ref>See ''Rapture: How Biotech Became the New Religion'', by Brian S. Alexander, New York: Basic Books, 2003, {{ISBN|0-7382-0761-6}}, pp. 5&ndash;6.</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Katherine |last=Bishop |publisher=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] newspaper|title=FDA fears smart drugs could pose stupid risks |date=1992-06-11 |accessdate=2007-03-01 |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SPIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB04A057A2FC5B9&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 }}</ref>

The bookauthors discussedpromotes the theory that [[Radical (chemistry)|free radical]]s andare thea idea that theyprimary cause of aging, and howrecommended [[antioxidant]]s were saidsupplements to partially prevent the damage they supposedly do.<ref>{{cite news| first=Dennis |last=Fiely |title='Biochemical bad boys' - Possible causes of disease, free radicals, may have met their match |publisher=Columbus Dispatch |date=1993-09-16 |accessdate=2007-03-01 |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:CLDB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10E0DA583AA751E0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815}}</ref> The book suggestsmakes causesa broad range of agingclaims andabout ways to slowthwart them,aging withand material on improvingimprove health and various aspects of the quality of lifeappearance.

One notable feature of the book wasis several full-page pictures of its male and female authors, Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, striking bodybuilding poses and showing off some impressive muscles for "sedentary research scientists," which they claimed was due to the "growth hormone releasers" they took daily.

== Criticism ==

Prominent aging researchers expressed mostly negative opinions of the book.

Medical health experts have dismissed Pearson and Shaw's life-extension formula as dangerous. The industry advocacy organization [[American Council on Science and Health]] reported that the risks of their formula included headaches, intestinal disorders and kidney damage.<ref>Renner, John H. (1990). ''HealthSmarts: How to Spot the Quacks, Avoid the Nonsense, and Get the Facts that Affect Your Health''. Health Facts Publishing. p. 80. {{ISBN|978-0962614507}}</ref>

In the 1992 [[documentary]] ''Never Say Die: The Pursuit of Eternal Youth'', Antony Thomas interviewed Pearson and Shaw, and criticised the anti-aging movement as misguided.<ref>{{cite news| title=The often gruesome search for perpetual youth |first=Virginia |last=Mann |publisher=The Record newspaper|date=1992-08-17 |accessdate=2007-03-01 |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:BRCB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB2778DA83E3DCC&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 }}</ref> A review in ''[[JAMA (journal)|JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association]]'' by researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health advised that “Some of the "health" advice contained in this book would be humorous if it was not so dangerous” and that “Potential readers of this ridiculous book would be wiser to take only the antacids—as we felt the urge to do after the realization that we had spent $22.50 on an unscientific, impractical, and potentially dangerous health fraud that literally made us ill.”<ref name="Stare & Aronson, 1983">{{cite journal|last=Stare|first=Fredrick J.|author2=Aronson, Virginia |title=Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach|journal=JAMA|date=November 23, 1983|volume=250|issue=20|pages=2862–3|url=http://jama.jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?ResourceID=526884&PDFSource=13|accessdate=2 June 2012|doi=10.1001/jama.1983.03340200094043}}</ref>

Two of the most prominent aging researchers offered contrasting assessments of the book. [[Leonard Hayflick]] deemed it "a glib, superficial overview of the field.,“ saying he "would be very unhappy to learn that there were substantial numbers of people depending on its contents for guidance.” [[Denham Harman]] declared, "I think basically the book is sound."<ref>{{cite web |author1=Karen G. Jackovich |title=Two Fitness Faddists Have a No. 1 Best-Seller, but Are They Stretching Life Spans or Truth? |url=https://people.com/archive/two-fitness-faddists-have-a-no-1-best-seller-but-are-they-stretching-life-spans-or-truth-vol-18-no-14/ |website=people.com |accessdate=8 September 2019 |date=October 4, 1982}}</ref>

Nutritionist Kurt Butler has described the book as a [[hoax]] and has written:

Two of the most prominent aging researchers offered contrasting assessments of the book. [[Leonard Hayflick]] deemed it "a glib, superficial overview of the field.,“ sayingadding that he "would be very unhappy to learn that there were substantial numbers of people depending on its contents for guidance.”<ref [[Denham Harman]] declared, name="I think basically the book is sound.jackovich"<ref>{{cite web |author1=Karen G. Jackovich |title=Two Fitness Faddists Have a No. 1 Best-Seller, but Are They Stretching Life Spans or Truth? |url=https://people.com/archive/two-fitness-faddists-have-a-no-1-best-seller-but-are-they-stretching-life-spans-or-truth-vol-18-no-14/ |website=people.com |accessdate=8 September 2019 |date=October 4, 1982}}</ref> But at the same time, [[Denham Harman]], to whom the book was dedicated and whose [[free radical theory of aging]] was favored by Pearson and Shaw, opined, "I think basically the book is sound," and added "It’s nice to see a book on aging on the best-seller lists."<ref name="jackovich" />

<blockquote>Pearson and Shaw denigrate exercise and claim that all its benefits can be had by taking the pills and remaining sedentary. Many experts believe that following their advice is more likely to accelerate aging rather than retard it. This is because the so-called antioxidants in their regimen are actually redox agents that act as pro-oxidants when taken in the doses the authors recommend, and because exercise is the best proven anti-aging tool available to us.<ref>Butler, Kurt. (1999). ''Lying for Fun and Profit: The Truth about the Media: Exposes the Corrupt Symbiosis Between Media Giants and the Health Fraud Industries''. Health Wise Productions. p. 85. {{ISBN|978-0967328102}}</ref></blockquote>

[[Gerontology#Biogerontology|Biogerontologist]] Dr. [[Roy Walford]] wrote, "[[gerontology]] has always been the happy hunting ground for faddists, charlatans, pseudoscientific fringe characters, and just misinformed enthusiasts with 'ready cures' for aging. ... Pearson and Shaw are among this long list of enthusiasts. ... Most of the Pearson/Shaw book relies on this lower-order category of evidence, and upon the testimonial posturing of Pearson and Shaw themselves."<ref name=Walford>{{cite book|last=Walford|first=Roy|title=Beyond the 120 Year Diet: How to Double Your Vital Years|year=2000|publisher=Four Walls Eight Windows|___location=New York, NY|isbn= 9781568581576|pages=21–23[https://archive.org/details/beyond120yeardie00walf/page/21 21]–23|url=https://booksarchive.google.comorg/books?iddetails/beyond120yeardie00walf|url-access=I0GeWFLLbQEC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21registration}}</ref> (At one Intime aWalford discussionwas groupa posting,partner biogerontologistin Dr. Stevea Harriscompany, MD criticizes the bookGerontix, offeringselling ansupplements exampleto ofcombat oneaging theand authors'improve "screwups:"health.)

:: I managed to track one of their references to the (supposedly) somniferous effects of inositol back through some of the primary literature they'd cited (loosely) in the back of the chapter. Wups, guess what? They'd been reading a paper on natural ligands of the benzodiazepine receptor, and confused inositol with inosine (helped out by [[Carl Pfeiffer (pharmacologist)| [Carl] Pffeifer]]'s [sic] claims that inositol is sleep inducing). Inosine actually HAS some demonstrated Valium like effects in some animals (birds), but to this day you're going to see inositol in sleep remedies.<ref name="Harris, 1995">{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Steve|title=Re: Whats up with Pearson & Shaw|url=http://groups.google.com/group/sci.life-extension/msg/3ba7eb3669464c37|accessdate=2 June 2012}}</ref>

== References ==

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{{Life extension}}

[[Category:1982Books booksabout life extension]]

[[Category:Dieting books]]

[[Category:Life1982 extensionnon-fiction books]]