Good Morning America
Twins, Aging, and Plastic Surgery
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DIANE SAWYER, co-host: Well, a landmark
study is out now, proving that the way you live
can affect the way you age. We first told you about
this study in April, and the results will be announced
later today.
(VO) The twins who participated in the study celebrated
at a cocktail party here in New York last night.
And joining us now is plastic surgeon Dr. Darrick
Antell, who conducted the study.
And also with us, two sets of twins who participated,
Janet Spira and Jane Reinhart, and Gay Block and
Gwyn Sirota.
And we appreciate you being with us this morning.
GUESTS (in unison): Thank you. Good morning.
DIANE SAWYER: Dr. Antell...
DR. DARRICK ANTELL (Plastic Surgeon): Yes.
DIANE SAWYER: ...you have identical twins,
right, same genetic makeup, and you watch how they
behave and how it affects their aging process. You're
saying that it absolutely does?
DR. ANTELL: Yes. The interesting thing about
this study is it's the first study of its type where
with genetically identical people we see changes
in the way they age. And they're mostly attributable
to lifestyle choices.
DIANE SAWYER: Like?
DR. ANTELL: Smoking, sun exposure, stress.
DIANE SAWYER: All right. Let's meet a couple
of our candidates here. Let me ask for Gay and Gwyn
about the two of you.
And, Gay, I know we've talked before about this.
You - you've labeled yourself the bad twin.
(VO) What did you do that was so different from
your sister?
Ms. GAY BLOCK: I had a lot of stress in
my life, I did a lot of sun, did some alcohol and
some drugs.
DIANE SAWYER: And you — you're - by
comparison, you're just perfect, right?
Ms. GWYN SIROTA: I wish I could say so.
But just not so excessive...(unintelligible).
DIANE SAWYER: But really not sun, not alcohol?
Ms. GWYN SIROTA: I really was - lived a
lot more - less stressful life than Gay.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) OK, I'm going to put
a picture up right now and show the two of you before
Dr. Antell did a little surgical work on you. And
you're saying that this is the exact measure of
what Gay's lifestyle...
DR. ANTELL: (VO) Yes, and Gay, in particular,
we felt that sun exposure was the main factor. She
had excessive sun exposure, and the wrinkle pattern
on her skin was similar to her sister's, but there
were more of them, and they were deeper.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) All right, let me go
to Janet here, and let me ask Jane, first...
Ms. JANE REINHART: (VO) Yes.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) Bad twin.
Ms. JANE REINHART: (VO) No, not me. I'm
very conservative. She, perhaps...
Ms. JANET SPIRA: I am. I'm the bad one.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) OK, and I want to stress
again, these are - these are their words, these
are the words you all used, not mine.
And again, what was the difference in the kind
of lives you lived?
Ms. JANET SPIRA: I had a more stressful
life, just raising chil-- two children alone. And
I lived in the Midwest, where Jane has lived in
the South most of her life.
DIANE SAWYER: All right, I'm going to put
up the pictures again and show this to you.
(VO) And you're saying again, we can see a life
etched on a face.
DR. ANTELL: And they all — and they've
all had surgery.
DIANE SAWYER: Come right around - come right
around in the back. They all had surgery. All proving
the same point, you say that your mother was right
once again. And we thank you all for being with
us. We'll be back with you more.
Other related articles on twins
and plastic surgery:
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