Renowned gerontology scientist Dr Craig Willcox and esteemed neurology/brain ageing scientist Dr Giovanni Scapagnini, in collaboration with Gold Mercury President Nicolas De Santis, delve into the impact of global population ageing. Their visit to Gold Mercury’s headquarters in London was an opportunity to showcase their expertise and discuss critical challenges to global ageing, particularly the influence of nutrition and brain disease. Dr Willcox’s groundbreaking research,’ Healthy Ageing and Food Diet – The Okinawa Centenarian Study, focuses on the interconnection between ageing and disability processes among the oldest people in Okinawa and Hawaii. Dr. Scapagnini’s work focuses on the cellular stress responses and molecular mechanisms of brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders. Given the generally ageing demographics in the developed world, these are two pressing research areas, with the developing world soon following suit. According to the World Population Report by the United Nations, by 2050, the number of older persons in the world will exceed the number of young for the first time in history, a startling demographic phenomenon which will have untold and powerful consequences in many areas. Dr. Willcox, a member of the Okinawan Centenarian Study, and Dr. Scapagnini have authored several papers on Okinawans and the Okinawa Diet. This dietary study is based on the eating patterns of a group of elderly inhabitants in Okinawa, a collection of over a hundred islands off the coast of Japan. These people are reported to have some of the world’s most extended life spans and best health. Changing our views on nutrition and physical activity, which are crucial to healthy ageing, cannot be overstated. Global Health is one of the eight main global areas of governance, as broken down by GLOGO® – Gold Mercury’s Global Governance Model and Centre for Sustainable Globalisation.

Gold Mercury has identified that an ageing population growing with unhealthy lifestyles and diets is a crucial obstacle to worldwide sustainability. As such, Gold Mercury is conducting a series of talks with leading global ageing experts to develop intelligence and solutions about nutrition and health education. With the increasing dependency associated with an ageing population, and the world population predicted to reach 16 billion by 2100, the issues of neurodegenerative illness, disability, and unhealthy lifestyles, and their impact on ageing, need to be further researched and understood.