Prostate cancer: you are never too young to act

My dad was into his 70s when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, radical radiation treatment and regular check-ups have kept him going. Others in his hospital 'intake' have not been so lucky.

Whilst prostate cancer is a big killer in men - 30,000 a year in the USA, for example - many men developing the disease will die of other causes because the cancer often grows slowly (particularly in men over 60). This is no cause for complacency. Autopsies around the world show that 30% of men in their 50s and 80% of men in their 70s have prostate cancer.

Now, I've heard it said on the grapevine that testing for prostate cancer is not really necessary for the under 50s. Indeed, screening programs, even for the over 50s, are not in place in most, if not all, countries. Nevertheless, the PSA test is easy and requires a simple blood sample and results are back in a couple of days.

I had my first test at 45 - just to be on the safe side. You too could insist - it's your health and your life.

Meanwhile the Foundation for Cancer Research and Education recommends that all men take action today to prevent prostate cancer. It particluarly targets men under 35! Here's what they say:


"Research shows that a diet rich in ocean-caught fish, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes combined with exercise and relaxation, is the key to a comprehensive approach to preventing prostate cancer. It's essential for young men to understand that simple dietary habits they adopt now can greatly reduce their risk of developing this common, but treatable form of cancer in later life".


Difficult to imagine that eating more fish and cooked tomatoes plus drinking green tea and generally being active can save your life, but if that's all it takes, why not?

Why rejuvenation is good for the economy

I spend a lot of my working life trying to understand how people are changing and what new things they want from their lives. In the profession this is called trendwatching. I also take care to look at what trends other commentators are observing. And guess which trend is often overlooked? That's right. Our desire as individuals to want to stay young, vital, and relevant.

For the life of me, I don't know why this is. It is obvious to me as a social researcher that the trend towards rejuvenation drives huge sectors of our economy. In fact, as a driver of consumers and markets, they don't come much bigger. Look at the facts.


- The global market for anti-ageing cosmetics (including skin brighteners, firming agents and cellulite reducers) is estimated at around $13 billion

- Meanwhile, in America in 2006 there were nearly 11.5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed – up 446% in ten years

- In Britain in 2006, face-lifts were up 44% on the previous year, and brow lifts were up 50%


In reality, the marketplace for youthfulness is much, much bigger that even these statistics suggest. Arguably, the whole fashion apparel market is all about looking young (and, of course sexy).

Likewise the beauty market. Indeed, I once interviewed Daniel Richard, who at the time was high in LVMH and MD of beauty boutique Sephora. He explained to me that beauty was all about death(!) - or at least the cheating of death.

So, in these hard economic times, don't let anyone say that looking after yourself and trying to remain young is a vanity that can't be afforded. The economy is stronger because of people like you.

Is Benjamin Button just fiction?

I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the cinema last night. Written in the 1920s by F Scott Fitzgerald, it recounts the life of Benjamin, born in 1918, aged 80! Living life in reverse, he becomes younger as the years pass - until he eventually dies a baby 80 years later.



Personally, I thought the film over long, but nothing can take away from the technical achievement of making Brad Pitt geriatric and then gradually rejuvenating him as the years pass.

Director David Fincher spent an estimated $150 million telling the story of this fabulous evolution. He says that his key challenge was to achieve this feat without the film-goer being aware of all the make-up.

Wouldn't it be good if we could all rejuvenate - without the make-up and the expense? The good news is we can.

The book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' shows how changing mindsets and adopting youthful thinking can help each and everyone of us rejuvenate during our lives - a bit like Benjamin Button.