The Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Prescription

An anti-aging doctor touts his comprehensive plan for living a more youthful life.

If there’s one big message readers can take away from Berger’s debut, it’s that aging doesn’t equal debilitation. On the contrary, the author, who operates the Rejuvalife Vitality Institute in Beverly Hills, believes “[w]e can maintain a state of youthful vitality regardless of our chronological age.” His plan is exhaustive, and he explains it in considerable detail in these 13 chapters, covering the science of aging, diet and nutrition, exercise, sleep, cosmetic surgery, “detoxifying” one’s environment and more. An appendix addresses how smoking, sugar, alcohol use, and travel can affect an anti-aging program. Readers may find that it’s no easy task to follow Berger’s plan, since the author’s approach is to “treat the whole patient; medically, socially, mentally, and environmentally.” Although the principles are simple—involving nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress reduction—the plan will likely require, for most readers, a major lifestyle change and careful monitoring. Berger makes it quite clear there’s no single perfect prescription for everyone and that each patient must follow an individualized plan—which leads to a not-so-subtle sales pitch: “Some readers will decide that I’m the doctor for them and will travel to my office so we can embark on the journey together. Others will choose to take the information presented in these pages and work with their own doctor.” The latter may be easier said than done, since other doctors may not necessarily agree with all aspects of Berger’s methodology. To the author’s credit, however, he clearly lays out every element of his program and holds nothing back; he even offers a well-balanced argument for the use of hormone therapy. The question remains, however, if anyone will be able to act on this specific “prescription” without seeking Berger’s help.

A comprehensive anti-aging perspective but one that average readers may find difficult to implement.