Experts
Robert Butler
President & CEO, International Longevity Center
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Re: How does America treat its elderly compared to the rest of the world?
The problem if ageism is worldwide, says Butler. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Health & Medicine
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Does increased longevity necessitate population control?
These things balance themselves out, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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If an older person is capable and functioning, why not let him or her run? Read More
March 24, 2008
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Re: Is prolonging life necessary at all costs?
We shouldn't just leave old people alone, Butler says. Is prolonging life necessary at all costs? Robert Butler: I don’t think we should just leave old people alone. I mean there is no reason why they should be put in isolation. I think the decision as to when one dies should be a mutual decision including of course of the patient, the doctor, the family and that is what actually happens probably about 70% of the time and then there are times when people have not written out an advanced directive or maybe they don’t have a family to look out or be their proxy or confusion reigns or different religious and other attitudes get into the situation, but by and large it should be prearranged by an individual to state exactly what they would want at the end of their life and under what circumstances. Recorded on: Mar 17 2008 Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Dignified Care for the Elderly
Only one in ten nursing homes is up to Federal standards, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Health & Medicine
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Re What will our hospital system look like when the last baby boomers retire?
We can do a lot more, Butler says, with outpatient care. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Health & Medicine
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How should society care for the elderly?
We are not prepared financially, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Health & Medicine
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Re Does the study of aging benefit humanity?
Healthy older people are productive citizens longer. Does the study of aging benefit humanity? Robert Butler: Yeah basically because if we can at the same time that we have lengthened life can reduce the onset of disease, then it is highly desirable. I mean no one well from an economic point of view of society or from a societal point of view or an individual point of view, we can't take pleasure in the advent of so many diseases and disablities with age. So, by virtue of investing and basic research on aging, we may dramatically reduce the painful advent of all those conditions which would be a great step forward. Robert Butler: Well, older people are often fantastic. I was just reading about Roget's Thesaurus, which was the guy…he lived to something like 90 and [Inaudible] tons and tons of writers whether for the newspapers or whatever, your lives and Thesaurus is [Inaudible]. So, what I am saying is that I think there are many benefits to older people who continue to contribute, are productive, and many of them are great composers like Elliot Carter at 99, still composing music. So, there are many advantages to age for everybody, not just for themselves. Recorded on: Mar 17 2008 Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Re: Can human growth hormone slow aging?
Muscle mass does not substitute for muscle function, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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The Future of Longevity Science
Butler is excited by the possibility that we could eliminate Alzheimer's. What’s on the horizon? Robert Butler: Well, if we are able to slow aging and also simultaneously delay the onset of diseases, which looks like it is now within the realm of possibility, we could get rid of or very much delay Alzheimer's disease which is the worst in the inability to recognize one's loved ones, to not be able to think and feel…it is terrible. That would be true of other age related diseases, arthritis, coronary heart disease, all could be delayed as a consequence of new biological research and longevity science. Recorded on: Mar 17 2008 Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Science & Tech
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Re: What are the effects of alcohol on aging?
Alcohol is highly correlated to abuse, says Butler. What effect does alcohol have on aging? Robert Butler: Well, for one thing they can cause what appears to be Alzheimer's disease, but is an impact, negative impact, upon the brain and that of course aside from that there are the facts that alcohol is highly associated with abuse related families, domestic abuse, abuse of children, wives. About 27% of all highway fatalities are related to alcohol. Alcohol is a terrible national problem. Robert Butler: Well, we ought to have raise taxes, which we haven’t done on alcohol since the 1950s and one of the reasons that people stopped smoking or reduced their smoking intake is the expense of taxes. Taxes was a very good strategy in reducing by 50% the number of smoker in the country. We could also significantly raise alcohol taxes and maybe have a powerful effect on alcoholism. Recorded on: Mar 17 2008 Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Re: Will we still be aging in 100 years?
We won't be able to stop aging completely, but Butler believes people will be able to live until they're 120. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Robert Butler on Sex Among the Elderly
Sexuality, Butler says, is not just intercourse. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Can science stop the course of memory loss? Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Old people are not all sick and sexless, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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The Benefits of Calorie Restriction
Butler thinks that restricting your intake will slow the aging process. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
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The Romans knew the secret thousands of years ago, Butler says. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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What is old age and why do we fear it? Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
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Robert Butler talks about the force of mortality. Read More
March 24, 2008 | In Life & Death
Dr. Robert N. Butler is the President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. Whether through his many appearances in front of the United States Congress, or his hundreds of interviews with the media, Dr. Butler has worked tirelessly for decades to push population-aging issues into the public discourse.
As a gerontologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Butler recognized discrimination against the elderly as early as 1968, coining the term %u201Cageism.%u201D Eight years later, the publication of his Pulitzer-prize-winning "Why Survive? Being Old in America" solidified his reputation as someone who foresaw the impact that aging would have on American society.
A founding director of the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, as well as the nation%u2019s first department of geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Butler often consults for television and radio. He is the author of some 300 scientific and medical articles.
Source: The International Longevity Center
