WHEN Adnan Osman told people he was cycling to Beijing, they looked at him in bewilderment, even disbelief. He is 67. Adnan is somewhere near Hanoi now, his fifth week since he started from KL, on track to complete a historic 9,000-kilometre journey to the opening of the Summer Olympics.

This month, Alberto "Pepino" Silva, 85, is inviting cyclists to join him on a 650km ride from his home town Benguela to the capital of Angola, Luanda. Not all are invited, only those 65 years and above. It is to commemorate his own attempt some years back as a symbolic gesture to mark the end of four decades of civil wars in his country.

I know of an Uncle Sang who is 79, one of the oldest regulars walking the jungle tracks of Bukit Gasing in Petaling Jaya. Young people, a quarter of his age, are seen panting halfway through some of the toughest terrain, but not him.

Some years back, my kampung folk lost someone believed to be an octogenarian -- a man who was born in Kediri, Java. He came as a young man and cleared the jungle to set up a community.

He was a legend, known for his physical strength. Probably his age was inflated, but he was always in the best of health as far I can remember.
Why is it that people can live up to 80, 90 or even 100 and still be active and healthy while others very much younger look frail and succumb to all kinds of diseases? There is no simple answer to the question. Apparently, age is as much psychological as it is physical. Why are some people more inclined to exert themselves in demanding sports even after 50 while others would stop exercising altogether at a very young age?

Aging is baffling. To many, it is a natural process. To others, it is merely a conception of time. There are some who age graciously, others grieve as they believe age creates havoc to their looks, vitality and happiness. There are people who take aging in their stride.

The late comedian George Burns made it to 100. His secret? "I love people and I enjoy life." The Royal Professor Ungku Aziz is still jogging well into his 80s. Others age faster than their age.

Different cultures respond differently to aging. There are societies whose members are noted for their longevity and health.

The people of Abkhasia living between the shores of the Black Sea and Caucasus ranges bordering Russia and Georgia have many elders who are living up to 90 and more. They are still active, agile and more importantly healthy. The region known as Vilcabamba in Ecuador's Andes mountains is famous for its old residents. The reputation for long life is associated with the Hunzas too who live in the mountain regions of northern Pakistan.

These societies are largely isolated, far from the madding crowd, if you like. What about those living in Okinawa who are regarded part of the modern society and more exposed to the modern world compared to the Abkhasians, the Vilcabambans and the Hunzas? The Okinawans have been studied for decades. Studies show that Okinawa is home to the world's healthiest documented elders. Not only that, it registers the longest recorded life expectancies and the most number of certified centenarians anywhere in the world.

Why do people in these societies live longer than the rest? Why are they active and healthy even in old age? Why are these people less likely to succumb to diseases associated with old age?

Why are there fewer instances of diabetes, heart problems, cancer and other conditions in such societies? Has diet got to do with it? Is their plant-based diet the secret? Or is it the way they live? Or the company they keep? Or is it because they are living in a less stressful environment?

Read all about these in a remarkable book by John Robbins, Healthy at 100: How You Can -- At Any Age -- Dramatically Increase Your Life Span and Your Health Span. It is part medical, part educational, but mostly information and tidbits about how to live healthily to old age even in the modern world.

There are secrets to living an extended and fulfilling life. More important is the need to make sure living to old ages is not a burden to oneself or to members of one's family.

Sadly modern societies are not too kind to the aging. In fact the concept of "ageism" is likened to other forms of bigotry such as racism and sexism. Old people are subjected to stereotyping and discrimination.

True, humans live longer now. According to studies, in the last 100 years, in the industrialised world at least 30 years have been added to the average life expectancy.

The average human lifespan has doubled over the past 200 years. But then again, not all humans are born equal. If you are a Japanese lady, chances are you can live up to 84 years. A Botswanan man's life expectancy is just 39. According to Robbins, old people in modern society are getting less and less well. In the United States there are 33 million so-called baby-boomers who are reaching old age. Everywhere in the world, the numbers are increasing. China will have more than 332 million oldsters soon, or more than 12 times the population of Malaysia.

According to one United Nations report, there are at least 10 per cent of the world's population today who are over 60. The number will soon be two billion in 2050.

Imagine the medical cost to be borne by governments, societies and families to deal with them.

Sadly, in the modern world today, increased longevity is seldom accompanied by increased health. According to Robbins, modern medicine that is supposed to prolong life does little to promote healthy aging.

Someone famously asked, what good is living up to 200 years but the last 150 years are spent in depression, loneliness and pain?

So, what is to be done? The book gives advice, one of which is common sense -- a healthy diet and lifestyle almost always lead to a longer and healthier life.

These are prerequisites to provide vitality, resistance against diseases and more importantly, a greater sense of wholesomeness and freedom. One more thing, those who are jovial and enjoy life last longer than the sulking and brooding ones.

Oldies, and soon to be one, take heed!