Today, with such emphasis placed on fitness training, cosmetic surgery, and special anti-aging supplements and medicines it is not surprising that over 50 has become the new ‘under 40.’ With stars like Michele Pfeiffer, Richard Gere, George Clooney, and Madonna all reaching the 50 + age bracket but looking (almost) as good as ever it is not surprising that crossing the 50-year-old barrier is substantially less daunting than it once was. Let’s briefly examine the influence of the 3 factors above in delaying the ravages of age on people’s appearance and health in general.
Regular exercise was the exclusive province of fanatics once people reached 50 or even 40 as recently as 20 or 25 years ago in the 1980’s. Now the medical profession has finally grown a brain and realized that exercise is not an option, it is a pre-requisite for good health as we age. Its effects on our appearance and especially body shape, muscularity, and slimness are profound. It is not unusual to see men and women in their 50’s that train hard and smart at the gym looking much better than the unfit who are 20 or 30 years their junior.
Surgical techniques have improved dramatically and it has definitely become much more acceptable, even expected, for people, especially stars, to have cosmetic surgery and other procedures like chemical and laser peels, botox injections, Restylane, etc. Additionally, the cost of medical procedures designed to enhance one’s appearance have fallen dramatically and are, in general, within the reach of people with normal incomes – these procedures which can and do take years or even decades of your appearance are no longer reserved for the wealthy!
Drugs and supplements abound that promise to "make you younger" in one way or another – some of them even work! For women there is estrogen replacement therapy which helps increase libido and feminine curviness while men can get testosterone treatment to help them to be more virile as well as increase their muscle mass and reduce body fat. Both sexes benefit hugely from Human Growth Hormone injections – if taken over an extended time frame this ‘miracle’ drug arrests and even reverses many symptoms of aging providing increased strength and muscularity, reduced body fat, greater alertness, energy and virility, stronger bones, teeth, and connective tissue, and even sounder sleep.
Since no group of people combine the need for a better appearance with having the financial resources to purchase the latest and best therapies and treatments, it is not a surprise that many 50 + stars today are looking fantastic and much younger than one would suppose.