Youth

You're only as young as you feel - or these days, as young as you look.

A few weeks back, I saw a screening of Youth Knows No Pain, a new documentary on the $60 billion anti-aging industry. It is currently airing on the aforementioned HBO Documentary Films summer series. Bear in mind that I saw the film in Hollywood, which I'm guessing may be ground zero of the youth market. There seemed to be a lot of nervous people around, waiting to hear what Pandora's Box this film was going to open.

Mitch McCabe, documentarian and beauty-product obsessed daughter of a deceased plastic surgeon, examines the world of anti-aging and her own history with it. Along the way, she meets some eclectic characters who are also determined to hang on to their youth - any way that they can.

The film is certain to stir up some debate about our society's youth-obsessed culture and fears of aging. As for me, I was most interested to learn that you can get facial lines from drinking out of water bottles (yes, I know, another reason to give that up). I haven't gone down the anti-aging road yet aside from the lotions and potions that start and end my day, but the film did make me think twice about some of those little lines right there...

Excuse me while I go look in the mirror.