Understanding aging: Dr. Eileen Crimmins makes the case for behavioral and social factors by Colin Milner

As an industry and as professionals, the potential of "living better longer" inspires us to dream, innovate and deliver new opportunities that support aging adults in engaging fully in life throughout their years. Our ability to foster the pursuit of aging well grows along with the body of research that reevaluates what we know about aging. To embrace those possibilities requires us--as leaders of the active-aging movement--to rethink aging. Every month in the "Colin Milner Rethinks Aging With ..." podcast, I do just that. As International Council on Active Aging founder/CEO, I interview thought leaders and aging-well disruptors who share innovative strategies and expert advice to help organizations, professionals and clients rethink aging. Social scientist and demographer Eileen Crimmins, PhD, was my recent guest. Her research explores changes over time in health and mortality in adults ages 50 years and older. In a published paper, Dr. Crimmins recently proposed that to truly understand aging, research should include "social hallmarks of aging" as well as biological biomarkers. She and I covered these hallmarks--plus other topics of interest--in our interview. Let's dive in!