HOLDING back the years is something which many people worry about these days.

Dr Miriam Stoppard, with her enduringly youthful looks, does not appear to be one of them. So, she is probably an excellent choice to write this book. It's a clever book because it is supremely optimistic, but practical at the same time. Hearteningly, she insists that "the key to longevity lies more in your own hands than it does in your genes". She then sets out a plan to live life to the full and ignore the dates on the calendar.

We should, apparently, follow the lifestyle of the Okinawan people who live in a chain of islands stretching from Japan to Taiwan. The 1.3 million inhabitants have the longest life expectancy on the planet because their lifestyle includes: no drinking alcohol or smoking, eating little meat or fat and refined sugars, a cultural habit called "hara hachi bu" when they stop eating at the first hint of fullness; getting plenty of activity, not turning to alcohol or anti-depressants to combat stress and anxiety.

If some of these traits sounds unsuitable for you, Dr Stoppard suggests eating less to live longer taking consistent and moderate exercise for around 30 minutes a day, and taking a positive approach to life. That's a precis of what the good doctor says. But she goes into plenty of detail about improving diet and lifestyle in particular, as well as how to cut the risks of serious illness and the importance of enjoying what for many will be their golden years.