Forever young? Biological age testing and the marketing of control – Sara Green (in collaboration with Olivia Spalletta and Emma Gram) – University of Copenhagen

Abstract: Biological age tests are becoming increasingly popular, promising insights into future health risks and opportunities for slowing ageing. Yet, despite growing scientific interest in biological age, there is still no consensus on how it should be measured or validated as a marker of health. This article examines the ethical and social implications of biological age testing through an analysis of commercial marketing, influencer narratives, and autoethnographic reflections on taking a biological age test. We argue that biological age is increasingly presented not merely as a proxy for future disease risk but as a health outcome and optimization target in its own right. In doing so, age testing encourages consumers to pursue further tests, interventions, and lifestyle modifications despite limited evidence that a reduction in biological age translates into improved health outcomes. Meanwhile, the longevity industry contributes to a normative reframing of ageing as an individual responsibility and a condition that should be continuously monitored, managed, and ultimately avoided.

Bio: Sara Green is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Science at the Section for History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research focuses on the epistemic and social implications of personalised models and datafication in science and medicine, with special focus on precision medicine and consumer medicine.