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Be 80 Years Old For A Day In This Incredible Age Suit

Be 80 Years Old For A Day In This Incredible Age Suit

Fat suits and drunk glasses are a walk in the park compared to this age suit. Created by Barclays to help them understand their elderly customers, the £1,500 suit gives a somewhat exaggerated experience of aging.

British news network ITN's reporter Sam Datta-Paulin tested the suit for several hours and as you can see for yourself-- it's not easy being old.

Datta-Paulin strapped on the gear, including a heavy sand-filled vest, arthritis-simulating gloves, ankle weights, and the most important part: vision distorting glasses. The simplest daily tasks like crossing the street, making tea, and chatting up girls were a feat with the added pains and lowered mobility.

While the simulation might be a bit over the top, jokes aside, it was a sobering experience for the 20-something reporter. "I'm terrified by the outside world as an 80 year old. It's a scary place and I don't like it very much," Datta-Paulin said. "The suit makes you realize how hard a lot of the stuff we take for granted really is."

Before You Go

Independent Woman's Anti-Aging Solutions -- How Far Would You Go?
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Following in the footsteps of a few celebrities, many have taken to self-injecting human growth hormones as means to wind back the clock. Though, some of the potential side effects may not outweigh the potential benefits. (credit:Flickr:Andres Rueda)
Guangxi(02 of07)
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The province of Guangxi in China reportedly has one of the highest concentrations of people who are aged 100 years and older. Even 125-year-old Luo Meizhen, China's former "Country's Oldest Person" called Gaungxi home. The Guangxi secret? Some think a tradition of the province, drinking bitter wines made from poisonous snakes, may have something to do with it. Cheers. (credit:Flickr:LongitudeLatitude)
Resveratrol(03 of07)
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If you prefer red wine over wines of the poisonous snake variety, Resveratrol may be more up your alley. While early studies on worm and mice showed promise in the red wine chemical's potential to regulate cell metabolism and eventually extend lifespan, more recent studies by geneticists and gerontologists have yet to see the same results in humans. Vermin: 1, Humans: 0 (credit:Flickr:timsnell)
TA-65(04 of07)
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For all it's scientific sounding nomenclature, this proven telomerase activator is a naturally occuring single molecule found in the ancient Chinese herb Astraglus. In lengthening your ever-shortening telomeres, TA-65 promises to slow aging. However, capsules were more effectively tested on man's best friend, rather than man himself. (credit:Flickr:MShades)
Shivambu(05 of07)
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Shivambu, or "Self-Urine Therapy" for those of us yet to unleash kunhalini up to our third eye, is an Eastern practice that for over 5,000 has been the elixir of life. Urine therapists are happy to speak to the subtle science behind the practice describing it as an extension of the methods of Pasteur. The good news? All it involves is drinking your own urine, so it is quite cost effective. The bad news? All it involves is drinking your own urine. (credit:Flickr:fudj)
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The naked mole rat is the latest organism to have its entire DNA sequence transcribed. In addition to their freakish ability to painlessly inhale ammonia, naked mole rats have a molecular anticancer mechanism and can live for more than 25 years (compared to the measly 4 years mice experience), oddities that have scientists in a frenzy. Terrible eyesight, poor body temperature regulation and those life-long wrinkles seem a fair payoff for extreme longevity and apparent resistance to ever developing cancer. (credit:Flickr:johntrainor)
Cryogenics(07 of07)
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Why stave off the effects of time when you can stop time all together? Rather than test your gag-reflexes and endure shots to the face, you can take the ultimate leap of faith and literally freeze time, giving today's scientists and those of the future a larger time window in figuring out how to conquer what for now seems like the inevitable aging process. (credit:Flickr:Myrmi)
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