The claimWhat Susan actually said
Asked how she has aged the way she has, Sarandon pointed to attitude and engagement rather than any product or regimen. In the same interview she mentioned hydration, avoiding extremes, drinking little, and credited her mother's genes. She has also long described ping-pong, walking and dancing as the movement she actually keeps up.
- aol.com: Susan Sarandon in their own words
- Cohen, Bavishi & Rozanski, Psychosomatic Medicine, 2016: meta-analysis linking higher purpose in life to lower all-cause mortality and fewer cardiovascular events.
- Alimujiang et al., JAMA Network Open, 2019: US adults over 50 with the lowest life purpose had markedly higher all-cause mortality than those with the highest.
- Su et al., Neurology, 2022: systematic review and meta-analysis finding mental, physical and social leisure activities each associated with lower dementia risk.
- Holt-Lunstad et al., PLoS Medicine, 2010: meta-analytic review reporting a substantial survival advantage for people with stronger social relationships.
Why it mattersWhy this matters for longevity
Purpose and social engagement are among the few longevity-linked factors with no cost and no side effects
Cohort evidence gets over-sold as proof of cause, and this is one of the areas where that happens most
Framing ageing well as attitude alone can quietly let harder, better-evidenced habits like movement and blood pressure control slide
The evidenceWhat the science says
A meta-analysis in Psychosomatic Medicine found that a stronger sense of purpose in life was associated with lower all-cause mortality and fewer cardiovascular events, and a large analysis of US adults over 50 found the same direction with a substantial gap between the highest and lowest purpose groups. A separate Neurology meta-analysis of leisure activity found that mental, physical and social activities each tracked with lower dementia risk, and Holt-Lunstad's meta-analytic review of social relationships reported a survival advantage for people with stronger social ties that is comparable in size to well-known lifestyle risks.
What this evidence does not establish is causation. Every one of those findings is observational: people who are already healthier, wealthier, less depressed and more mobile are more able to stay engaged, and early undiagnosed illness can reduce both engagement and survival at once. There is no randomised trial showing that deciding to be curious extends life. It is also worth saying plainly that Sarandon herself credits genes in the same interview, and genetics is not something the reader can copy.
TakeawayThe honest takeaway
The practical lesson
Treat engagement and social connection as a real health habit worth protecting, alongside, not instead of, movement and routine medical care.
RelatedRelated habits
Each of these is a habit you can build on its own. Explore them through the Topics index.
SupplementsThe supplement angle: Vitamin B12 and vitamin D
Support a habit, do not replace one
Neither supports mood or cognition in people who are not deficient, and neither is a substitute for social contact. Deficiency is common enough in older adults that it is worth testing before supplementing, which is a conversation for a clinician.
Supplements can support good habits. They do not replace sleep, movement, nutrition, or medical care. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting anything new.
This is educational commentary, not medical advice, and does not imply that Susan Sarandon endorses, is affiliated with, or uses Winning Longevity or any product. We critique the claim and the evidence, not the person. Any direct quote is a placeholder until sourced. Talk with a qualified healthcare provider before changing your routine. See our health disclaimer.
