'The first person to live to 135 has already been born' says a scientist from the University of Copenhagen. Rudi Westendorp claims that it is our mindset which is preventing us from adapting to increases in life expectancy.
Living Longer
His book, titled Growing Older Without Feeling Old: On Vitality and Ageing covers this exact topic. Westendorp writes: "It is wrong to think that we can take the life stories of our parents and grandparents as a blueprint for the way our own lives should unfold," The Sunday Times reported.
"In 100 years we have outgrown the current biological and social order and that order is due for an overhaul."
If this is true, life expectancy will increase dramatically and by 2030, many women in England and Wales will live to an average of 90 years, while men will reach an average of 80 years.
Researchers, from Imperial College London have also spotted this trend and have warned about the consequences of longer life expectancies. The Daily Mail reports that this would place a much greater strain on the NHS, social services and pensions sector, and the wealthy should be prepared to pay higher taxes in order to fund better health and social care.