Something more crucial than 'slow aging' diet that has become a trend

If you feel familiar with exotic ingredients or foods such as Farro grain, MCT oil, bulletproof coffee, and Tzatziki sauce, it means you are keeping up with the latest trends. These are frequently mentioned ingredients in the recently popular ‘slow aging’ movement.

Slow aging refers to aging slowly through a healthy lifestyle. Recently, it has become one of the most popular topics for content ranging from books to videos. Notably, many of those followers are now seeking slow-aging dietary methods that can be easily applied in daily life. It could be said to be one of the health fads similar to the Mediterranean or detox diets. The slow aging concept emphasizes preventing blood sugar spikes and taking in anti-oxidant ingredients that prevent cell damage.

Slow aging started gaining widespread popularity in the year 2024. Numerous books on slow aging continue to be released after Professor Jeong Hee-won from the Geriatrics department at Seoul Asan Medical Center published his bestseller titled The Slow Aging Diet. They mainly aim to provide information on how to protect the bodies of modern-day people from the ‘accelerated aging’ caused by stressors such as overtime work, overwork, pandemics, and exposure to processed and fast food.

Channel A, a local TV broadcasting channel, launched a new show on January 28 titled Aera's Therapy House, where actress Shin Ae-ra offers slow aging therapy for guests in need of healing. All these trends show how popular the concept of slow aging has become. More interestingly, not only the middle-aged who are immediately experiencing signs of aging but also those in their 20s and 30s who are more rigorous about following healthy lifestyles are also leading the trend.

Slow aging differs from the once-popular concept of anti-aging. Industries ranging from food to beauty used to utilize anti-aging concepts in marketing, but now 'slow aging' is a more common phrase both locally and abroad. Unlike anti-aging, which displayed a strong dislike for aging, slow aging is more about embracing it. It has a lot to do with mindfulness and meditation, managing what to eat and how to exercise to enhance self-efficacy and internal strength beyond age.

Despite this enthusiasm for slow aging, one concerning aspect is that it is still very difficult to age happily in our society. Due to ageism, which tends to judge one's ability or mindset based on age, the aged group struggles to maintain quality jobs. According to Statistics Korea, as of 2023, four out of ten elderly citizens aged 65 or older are classified as impoverished. Disparaging and disdaining toward the elderly is also common. The 2024 World Happiness Report rank shows that the level of happiness is lower for those aged 60 or over (No. 59) than for those under 30 (No. 52) in Korea. In contrast, in Japan and the U.S., older people ranked significantly higher in happiness than younger generations.

It is welcoming to see the slow aging trend as it encourages us to embrace aging wisely. With Korea being one of the world's fastest-aging countries, slow aging has become 'the' issue of society and a source of enthusiasm everybody across generations is interested in. However, one must not forget that without any proper measures to support a happy life in old age, slow aging will become just another rehashed fad of the past trapped once again in obsession with youth or repulsion against aging.