Last updated: August 31, 2026
July 25, 2026In This Article
Over 10,000 people have completed the True Age Calculator! This gives us an opportunity to look at the statistics for everyone who has completed the calculator:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| People | 10,000 |
| Calculator Runs | 15,000 |
| Lifespan, from age and gender | 83 years |
| Lifespan, current habits | 97 years |
| Untapped potential | 3.6 years median |
| Lifespan, fully optimized | 101 years |
| Biggest opportunity | Daily walking (3.2 years) |
Introducing the Unager
But who are these people who fill out an Internet age calculator? Here are the demographics:
Aside from the peak at 20 from the old calculator default age, the largest age group of Unagers is the 60-75 years old, with more Unagers doing the calculator as they get closer to 60 years old. I think it reflects the age of people who would read a health blog as well as a time when people become more concerned about longevity.
But a distribution isn’t a person. Let’s take a look at the archetypical Unager:
| The Typical Unager | At a Glance |
|---|---|
| Who they are | 72-year-old woman, United States |
| Lifespan, from age and gender | 83 years |
| Lifespan, current habits | 97 years |
| Lifespan, remaining potential | 3.6 years median |
| Habits flagged for improvement | 8 of 15 |
| Biggest personal levers | walking, aerobic exercise, strength |
And yet, I don’t feel that I know Ms. Archetype Unager well. Let’s see how she answered the questions:
| Question | Most Common Answer | Longevity Optimum |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | 8,000 daily | 12,000 daily |
| Aerobic exercise | Weekly | Weekly |
| Strength training | Under 30 min/week | 1 hour/week |
| Sauna † | Less than once a week | Less than once a week |
| Flossing | Every day | Every day |
| Smoking | Doesn’t smoke | Doesn’t smoke |
Now I’m getting a better picture of Ms. Unager. She does most of the recommended exercise, although her steps aren’t quite the optimal 12,000, and she does the lowest amount of Strength Training at under 30 minutes weekly (along with 42% of Unagers). She flosses and has never smoked.
| Question | Most Common Answer | Longevity Optimum |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee and tea | 3+ cups coffee or 5+ tea | 3+ cups coffee or 5+ tea |
| Whole grains | 1–2 times a week | 4 servings daily |
| Nuts or olive oil | Less than once a week | 1 serving daily |
| Fish | Less than once a week | 2+ servings daily |
| Legumes | Less than once a week | 1 serving daily |
| Red meat | Less than once a week | Less than once a week |
| Processed meat | Less than once a week | Less than once a week |
| Sugary drinks | Less than once a week | Less than once a week |
| Eggs | 1–2 times a week | 3–4 times a week |
For diet, she already avoids red and processed meat! Daily nuts or olive oil would be the biggest boost, but at least she’s avoiding sugary drinks. Her coffee/tea habits are also fine, but she could do with more whole grains.
I’m afraid she might not be getting enough protein, given she eats fish, legumes, and red or processed meat less than once a week. That 1-2 eggs weekly is not enough. Maybe she lives on poultry?
Reaching Your Full Potential
Compared to the average lifespan for age and gender, Unagers have a longer expected lifespan thanks to their habits, although still more possible lifespan remains with further improvement. Let’s look at how the opportunities for increasing expected lifespan vary by age:
Two things add up to the total years above baseline: what good habits have already achieved, and what remains. The years achieved peak in mid-life near 15, then fall as there is less runway left. The remaining slice barely moves, holding around three years from the 40s onward. So the total shrinks with age, but almost all of that drop is in years already earned, not in what is left to gain.
Why do the under 40 Unagers have 5 years of remaining potential longevity, versus about 3 years for over 40 Unagers, with a little under 2 years for the over 90s?
The answer comes down to how habits change as you age. The under 40s, flush with the assumed immortality of youth, have poor diet and exercise less. Around 40 years old, as life settles down, perhaps with family and career, Unagers establish an exercise routine and start improving their diet, with less red and processed meats or sugary beverages, and more healthy foods. Diet continues to improve throughout life for the Unagers, but after 80, it becomes increasingly rare to continue exercise habits. After 90, with heavy frailty onset, significant decline in activity, with daily steps dropping from 8,000 to 2,000 steps, as the final boss of lifespan, motor unit loss, sets in in earnest.
Where do they get their protein from?
Is this real? Are Unagers really living without major protein intake? I looked through the records, and found yes, about 2% of calculator runs report having less-than-weekly consumption of fish, legumes, eggs, and red or processed meats. The calculator no longer asks about dairy or poultry, because they have less impact than the other items, but it did before. About 11% of those runs without other protein intake do eat poultry and dairy regularly, but I’m still worried about the remaining 270!
The Search for Ms. Unager
Remember Ms. Archetype Unager above? The 72-year-old woman with low protein intake, but good exercise habits? I searched through the calculator entries, and the closest match was a 72-year-old woman who matched every question exactly, except strength training — she does a solid 30 minutes weekly, one step above the typical Unager’s less than 30 minutes. She lives in New Castle, USA, and I assume is living a beautiful, healthy life. Although she should eat more fish or legumes!
How do you compare? Take the free biological age calculator and see where you sit against 10,000 other people.
