The Today Show
Twins,
Aging, and Plastic Surgery
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DIANNE
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.
DIANNE
SAWYER: Dr. Antell...
DR.
DARRICK ANTELL (Plastic Surgeon): Yes.
DIANNE
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.
DIANNE
SAWYER: Like?
DR.
ANTELL: Smoking, sun exposure, stress.
DIANNE
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.
DIANNE
SAWYER: And you -- you're - by comparison, you're
just perfect, right?
Ms.
GWYN SIROTA: I wish I could say so. But just
no so excessive...(unintelligible).
DIANNE
SAWYER: But really not sun, not alcohol?
Ms.
GWYN SIROTA: I really was - lived a lot more
- less stressful life than Gay.
DIANNE
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 exaact 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.
DIANNE
SAWYER: (VO) All right, let me go to Janet here,
and let me ask Jane, first...
Ms.
JANE REINHART: (VO) Yes.
DIANNE
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.
DIANNE
SAWYER: (VO) OK, and I want to stress agian,
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.
DIANNE
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.
DIANNE
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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