“Hmm, we did your blood work, and, well, you are pre-diabetic. Your blood-pressure has skyrocketed, and you’re, erm, at high risk of stroke and heart attack…”
Gulp. What can you hope for when you’re 59 and the physician looks at you with that apologetic yet painfully earnest expression? The type of expression that speaks volumes to patients otherwise ignorant of platelet count or fasting plasma glucose.
Suddenly, you’re bombarded with thoughts such as “Will I survive?” and “Can I even hope to get healthy again—let alone live longer?”.
For Jenke von Wilmsdorff, enfant terrible of Germany’s (self-)investigative journalism, it’s pretty ironic to be confronted with mortality at this point. Indeed, when he hears of his impending death sentence, he has just signed up for another of his controversial experiments, i.e., a 3-month longevity challenge for German ProSieben TV channel – during prime time! Not only does it involve a diet revolution, a punishing exercise regimen, regular ice bathing, and drastic sleep hygiene, but also myriad wearables, tests, and supplements.
For a moment, Jenke is uncharacteristically floored. Not only does he have to digest the bad news, but the challenge means he’ll have to give up on all the coping strategies of a stressed journalist’s life, i.e. chain-smoking, drinking, fast-food and partying.
However, he is goaded by his family history – all the men have prematurely died of heart failure – as well as his son, Jánik, who also worries about his father’s professional antics and their health consequences. To wit, daredevil Jenke is famous for reality-testing just about everything under the sun: from extreme sugar highs to binge-drinking, pesticide-laced groceries and various drugs, not to mention an “anorectic diet” or plastic surgery.
In fact, the journalist has been using and abusing his body for years but still visibly resists embracing what he views as a monastic kill-joy existence. To encourage him, both film maker Jánik (31) and producer Katja (45) have decided to take part.
Although younger, Jánik and Katja also struggle with the radical makeover. The former is more health-conscious than his father, but he finds it tough to resist vaping as well as the nightlife typical of his age group. And the latter is saddled with the care of two small children beyond her full-time job. So, all participants start with some level of “disability”, as also mirrored in their initial health check-ups.
Consequently, the trio launches into the experiment with (very) mixed feelings. On the one hand, they are fully aware of the privilege of being able to “do” and afford longevity almost full-time with the help of top-notch specialists. On the other, they visibly wrestle with the inflexible logistics of the experiment and the renouncement of their usual creature comforts.
The feature is peppered with short interviews of international longevity experts and regular monitoring sessions with physicians and coaches. But its diary format mainly pictures our reluctant heroes groaning and grumbling: about cold water, nicotine lows, aching muscles, vegetable, or supplement “overdoses”, travel challenges and, not too surprisingly, social isolation, due to their extreme schedules.
And seemingly irresistible temptations arise along the way: the smoke-filled bars in Tunisia, the lure of long nights out, and junk food – be it in Asia or at home. At one point, the camera captures Jenke cheating after a few weeks. As he voluptuously munches on crisps – after admitting to a lunch of cheesy noodles and a chocolate snack – he waxes lyrical about the necessity of still enjoying life.
So, do our heroes throw in the towel?
Nope. After the drudgery of the initial weeks, they slowly discover a renewed zest for life as their bodies strengthen and their complexions clear. So much so that they prolong the experiment for another couple of months.
What then is the upshot of this gruelling trial?
Beyond feeling and looking a lot better, Jenke, Jánik and Katja boast fantastic improvements in their bloodwork, their strength, stamina and VO₂max rates.
Additionally, the trio have been monitored with two epigenetic age tests – one of which is epiAge. While the other test shows inconsistent patterns and a biological age increase for all participants, epiAge attests that Jenke has been able to shed one year, Katja two and Jánik a whopping three years. All this in the course of their 5-month ordeal – thus aptly mirroring their different profiles, including their personal health and lifestyle challenges.
Does rejuvenation always require such drastic measures? No. Previous TV experiments with epiAge (e.g. here or there) have shown that less is often more when it comes to longevity. Indeed, radical changes can initially stress the body out and dampen motivation over time. Instead, small but consistent changes, such as walking or cycling to work, cutting down on sugar or integrating mindfulness in your schedule, can pay significant dividends over time.
So, what are *you* waiting for?
Challenge yourself and rejuvenate – with epiAge!
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Source and further reading
"JENKE. Experiment. Unsterblich: Wollen wir für immer leben?". Joyn/ProSieben. 28.04.2025. Online: https://www.joyn.ch/play/serien/jenke/9-1-jenke-experiment-unsterblich-wollen-wir-fuer-immer-leben [in German!]
Illustrations
Joyn/ProSieben & epiAge
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