Worried about aging? Get used to it.

Famed Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce De Leon travelled what is today the southeastern United States, in a destructive, and ultimately futile search for the legendary "Fountain of Youth" a spring whose waters could restore youth and counter the effects of aging. The expedition returned to Spain, an expensive failure. Today, an entire generation of men and women are spending fortunes on an endeavor that is equally absurd--anti-aging.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The boomer generation is particularly vulnerable to the anti-aging hype. Raised with television and images of perpetual youth, the boomer generation is particularly conscious of the effects of aging and they're trying everything they can to slow or stop it. Billions of dollars are spent annually on pills, creams, injections, and medical procedures. And all of it, is bunk.

It's also big money. The anti-aging industry is expected to be worth $80 billion in 2011 alone, a figure that will rise to $114 billion by 2015. All that money has attracted everyone from mainstream doctors, to snake-oil peddlers, and con-artists, along with top-notch marketers. Campaigns prey on common fears about aging and go further, blaming the potential customer for the aging process, making them feel guilty about not buying the latest exercise supplement.

Many ads feature older men with washboard abs and much younger women with their arms around their biceps. Women see themselves aging in the mirror, then watch talk show hosts and news commentators who somehow maintain the looks of their 30's or 40's. 

What the ads don't say is particularly relevant. The ads don't explain how much those youthful appearances are the product of makeup and lighting. They don't tell viewers that aging is normal and respectable. And they rarely explain, in very small print that no older person could ever read, that their statements haven't been evaluated by the FDA. Instead, they use misleading terms like, "Leading university," and "double blind study" to lend credibility to their paid testimonials. 

The result is always the same. The victim opens their wallet for the latest cream or gadget, and ends up aging anyway. 

Doctors insist there are no fountains of youth. No pills, replacement therapies, or supplements can reverse the effects of ageing. Life spans cannot be prolonged through these products and the women on those biceps are still paid actresses who go home to much more youthful husbands once the cameras are put away. 

The National Institute on Aging recommends that consumers remain skeptical and be on guard for possible scams. Otherwise, consumers may meet the same fate as de Leon--being both poorer and older for their experience.

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