[People Met Through Books] People's Walking Patterns Have Changed After COVID-19

Many modern people experience accelerated aging
Excessive video watching carries risks similar to drug addiction
Getting enough sleep is essential to prevent aging
Most anti-aging treatments on the market are ineffective

The lifespan of modern people has greatly increased compared to the past, making the term "100-year-old era" not a distant future but an imminent reality. However, whether this extended lifespan will be enjoyed healthily remains uncertain. The convenience sought by modern people sometimes acts as a detrimental factor harming health. In the era flooded with videos, the brain exposed to excessive stimuli develops addictive behaviors, indulging in stronger stimuli and damaging mental health. Meanwhile, the development of smartphones and transportation methods ironically limits human mobility and restricts physical development. The resulting adverse effects are diverse. Some people complain of physical pains without specific diseases, and some young individuals worry about early dementia symptoms. Jeong Heewon, a geriatric specialist at Seoul Asan Medical Center, calls this phenomenon "accelerated aging." Regarding the cause, he points out that the modern way of eating, resting, and moving is flawed. Modern people are addicted to ultra-processed foods, resulting in excessive stored energy in the body but low physical activity, creating disharmony, and the brain is exhausted due to constant stimulation. As a solution, he advises that for those attempting anti-aging therapies, all remedies are useless without fundamental changes in life. Rather than choosing easy methods, he suggests fundamentally changing lifestyle attitudes, saying, "You too can age slowly" (The Quest). We asked Specialist Jeong Heewon about how to control the speed of aging.

Professor Jeong Heewon, Department of Geriatrics, Asan Medical Center, Seoul [Photo by Asan Medical Center, Seoul]

- You warned that the modern lifestyle accelerates aging, known as "accelerated aging."

▲Factors known to influence the speed of aging include diet, weight, alcohol, smoking, chronic stress, and sleep. Recently, with the development of artificial intelligence and algorithm technologies, it has become possible to measure the degree of accelerated aging. It has been confirmed that lifestyle habits in youth, attitudes toward life, and what one values in life affect the aging clock.

- Could you explain with a key example?

▲If I had to pick the most powerful factor accelerating aging in modern society, it would undoubtedly be the smartphone. It is well known that mutual comparison through SNS increases stress and worsens depression. Increased screen time raises stress hormone levels, worsens metabolic indicators, and reduces self-control. It also damages musculoskeletal health. Especially before and after COVID-19, people's walking patterns have changed significantly. Core muscles have disappeared, and hip joints have stiffened, preventing proper use of hips and knees. The musculoskeletal aging has worsened remarkably.

- You mentioned special caution is needed regarding short-form video viewing among screen usage.

▲Short-form video content is like synthetic drugs that produce dopamine through addictive algorithms. This is similar to how food companies nowadays release ultra-processed foods mixing sweetness, saltiness, and greasiness to create strong addiction. It is natural to get reward hormones when exposed to new stimuli, but nowadays, such stimuli have reached extremes. People easily obtain enormous stimuli through smartphones that cannot be experienced in natural environments, leading them to continuously seek stronger stimuli. The scary thing about drugs is that after exposure to strong stimuli, normal daily stimuli no longer provide rewards. Similarly, short-form videos can make it difficult to focus on normal life once addicted.

- Does this also affect the increasing number of insomnia patients?

▲Social atmosphere plays a big role. In Korea, there is a saying "4 hours of sleep and 5 hours of failure," meaning that studying with 4 hours of sleep leads to success, while 5 hours leads to failure, reflecting a culture that normalizes reducing sleep for achievement. However, considering the harmful effects of sleep deprivation, our goal is more likely to be achieved by sleeping an hour more. Sleep deprivation is an ultra-powerful factor accelerating aging. Numerous studies confirm that sufficient sleep is essential for maintaining normal health. Actually, staying up all night causes concentration decline equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%, close to license suspension. Accumulated sleep deprivation is similar. People who sleep less than usual for 10 days show concentration levels comparable to those who have not slept for 24 hours. Sleep deprivation promotes stress hormone secretion, increases myocardial infarction mortality, and lowers immunity. Especially, chronic sleep deprivation broadly harms cognitive function and raises dementia risk. Some studies suggest chronic sleep deprivation advances dementia onset by 10 years.

- What should be emphasized to slow aging?

▲In 2015, the WHO (World Health Organization) proposed a new health concept called "intrinsic capacity." It is a comprehensive concept judging physical health, mental health, social capacity, and wealth. To maintain quality of life and live independently in old age, all these must be balanced, which can reduce the speed of aging. To prevent the collapse of the entire organic system due to some problems, the 4M health method (Mobility, Mental health, Physical health and disease, and Matters important to oneself) was introduced. Dopamine remodeling and the default mode network fall under this.

- How should dopamine remodeling be done?

▲You can write a "dopamine remodeling journal" and a "list of dopamine stimuli." It is neither difficult nor time-consuming. For example, if you feel like drinking cola, record when the craving occurs, why you thought so, whether you were just thirsty or stressed. If this habit continues, when you want to drink cola, you think, "Ah, I am feeling some deficiency now, why is that?" This is similar to cognitive behavioral therapy and is more effective than simply suppressing the urge with "I must not." Suppression causes backlash, but this method loosens the vicious cycle. Usually, effects appear in 2-3 weeks, and in 2-3 months, broad changes in cognition, emotion, and body shape occur. Since life elements are organic, this dopamine remodeling habit naturally positively affects brain recovery and physical pain reduction.

- How can the default mode network be stabilized?

▲The default mode network refers to brain areas activated when the brain is resting without specific activity, in neuroscience. It is a slightly tense state ready to respond to external information like phone rings or messenger notifications. It is an essential element itself, but the problem is that the default mode network is greatly distorted in modern brains. Repeatedly opening and closing mailboxes, messengers, and web browsers prevents immersion in tasks that require focus. If this continues, the brain state resembles that of ADHD patients. Concentration decreases, and irritability increases. In such cases, meditation is good for calming the mind. The core of meditation is to feel the present moment instead of harmful stimuli constantly exposed. You don't need to take grand postures or chant mantras. Simply focusing on breathing and posture while standing in a crowded subway or waiting for an elevator can have practical effects.

- There are many anti-aging therapies on the market; can they be trusted?

▲Among anti-aging therapies conducted domestically, there are no cases that significantly extend lifespan or improve frailty or intrinsic capacity. The most common is intravenous therapy, which, aside from anti-aging effects, is often harmful. The amount of electrolytes and nutrients is usually equivalent to half a meal for a normal person. The same applies to antioxidants. Exercise is a prerequisite. Exercise produces reactive oxygen species and consumes them, removing damaged mitochondria and cellular waste, delaying aging. Without exercise, antioxidants cannot help. Some studies even show certain antioxidants increase cancer incidence or mortality risk. Other therapies like stem cells, chelation, or blood purification do not fundamentally improve biological characteristics or extend lifespan. Many are swayed by articles or advertisements, but substances proven to delay aging by institutions like the U.S. National Institute on Aging are mostly prescription drugs unavailable to the general public. Purchasing anti-aging substances is mostly a waste of money on marketing.

- Lastly, any advice for readers?

Many patients ask at the end of consultations, "But... can I take something that is good for the body?" They probably know the answer. The most fundamental method is overall life improvement. A Canadian study investigating lifespan from age 20 on about 80,000 people showed that physical activity, diet, alcohol, and smoking influenced lifespan by 8 years. A U.S. study starting at age 50 adding "appropriate weight" showed a 13-year effect. Yet obsession with something good for the body aims to minimize pain and live comfortably while increasing pleasure immediately. True lifestyle improvement begins with realizing a harmonious way of life that allows long-lasting peace. Even small beginnings can lead to significant effects through compound benefits once changes are visible.