An archaeologist from the University of York is leading a new study into how societies viewed ageing, wisdom and experience over thousands of years.

Dr Lindsey Büster’s research claims to be the first to focus on the lives and experiences of older adults in prehistoric and Roman Europe, examining skeletons and objects from collections including York Museums Trust.

The project, called Age-Old Stories, aims to challenge existing stereotypes and ageism by exploring how earlier societies viewed age, wisdom and experience.

“They have a very large collection of Roman human remains from across Yorkshire and that’s going to be a really important assemblage for us,” said Dr Büster.

The ultimate aim is for the research to provide strong examples of why making older adults more visible in policy-making and public life is so important,” said Dr Büster.

“Ageing is not a marginal experience, it is a central part of human history and we should have better strategies for valuing and celebrating it today.”

Archaeological discoveries already suggest that older adults were central figures in many past societies.

In Scarborough, the remains of Gristhorpe Man – Britain’s best-preserved Early Bronze Age skeleton – were analysed and suggested he was aged between 45 and 60 years, tall and muscular, and nourished by a rich diet.

“He is over 45 and he was buried in this log coffin, which would’ve been hugely time consuming, hugely labour intensive and he’s buried with a dagger,” said Dr Büster.

“These are all the trappings of a high-status individual.”

The project will work in partnership with York Museums Trust to create a new exhibition and public events, and will also collaborate with Age Friendly York.

Weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy are so effective they should be the first treatment for obesity “in almost all cases”, according to new medical guidance.

The European Association for the Study of Obesity praised the drugs’ effectiveness and wider health benefits in new guidance to doctors.

It described them as slimming aids that can also cut the risk of related conditions such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Three in ten Britons – around 16m adults – are obese, but only 1.5m use the injections, most bought privately at about £200 a month.

Trials have shown adults using semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, lost about 14 per cent of their body weight over 72 weeks.

Those taking tirzepatide – marketed as Mounjaro and sometimes dubbed the “king kong” of weight loss jabs – lost about 20 per cent over the same period.

Dr Andreea Ciudin, co-first author of the guidance from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, said the drugs were “completely transforming care of obesity and its complications”.

She added: “Even though there are several options on the market, the reality is that semaglutide and tirzepatide are so effective that they should be the first choice in almost all cases.”

The guidelines were produced by an international team of experts, including contributors from the UK.

They analysed existing studies and created an algorithm to help doctors decide the best treatment based on a patient’s weight and associated conditions.

They concluded that tirzepatide and semaglutide should be considered the “medications of choice” when a substantial level of total body weight loss is required.

When a lesser degree of weight loss is the aim, other medicines such as liraglutide, naltrexone–bupropion and phentermine–topiramate may be appropriate.

The guidance comes after health secretary Wes Streeting pledged this week to make injections available to millions more patients on the NHS.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, he said it was unfair that wealthier people had been able to benefit from the drugs’ “transformative” effects “on their health, their confidence and their quality of life” while those unable to pay privately had gone without.

He added: “Weight-loss jabs could help us finally defeat obesity.

“Our mission is to ensure that the best science, the best healthcare and the best innovations are available not just to some, but to all.”

Scientists have discovered the genetic and lifestyle factors that helped Spanish woman Maria Branyas live to 117, making her the world’s oldest person until her death last year.

Researchers found Ms Branyas’s “exceptional” genes and a “frugal” Mediterranean diet – rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and olive oil – were the most likely reasons for her longevity.

The study collected samples of blood, saliva and stool from Ms Branyas when she was 116. She showed no sign of dementia and had a biological age 23 years younger than her chronological age.

The research, involving academics from the University of Leicester, also included Prof Manel Esteller of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Barcelona.

Prof Esteller, who led the team, noted that Ms Branyas did not drink alcohol or smoke and ate three servings of plain, sugar-free yoghurt every day.

“She had an exceptional genome enriched in variants in genes that are associated with enhanced lifespan in other species, such as dogs, worms and flies,” said Prof Esteller.

“At the same time, she was devoid of gene variants associated with the risk of pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and metabolic disorders.”

Prof Esteller said Ms Branyas carried many gene variants that kept blood lipid levels low, protecting her heart and cognition. Lipids are fat-like substances in blood and tissues that can cause high cholesterol.

Blood tests also revealed her lipid metabolism – how the body processes fats – was among the most efficient ever reported.

“This was related to her frugal diet and genes that quickly metabolised damaging molecules,” Prof Esteller added.

The team said they suspected her daily yoghurt also helped replenish levels of a probiotic called bifidobacterium, which can reduce inflammation and slow ageing.

Prof Esteller approached Prof Salvador Macip, from the division of molecular and cell biology at the University of Leicester, to contribute to the study.

Dr Thong Cao, from the university’s cardiovascular sciences department, worked on plasma samples from Ms Branyas.

He said: “Our role was to use advanced mass spectrometry to study thousands of proteins circulating in the blood of this exceptionally long-lived individual.

“Proteins are the molecular ‘workhorses’ of the body and provide important clues about health and disease.

“By comparing her protein profile with those of other women across different age groups, we could see what was unique about her biology.”

Analysis in Leicester found her blood proteins suggested “a very low level” of inflammation.

Data also showed she had enhanced detoxification and antioxidant responses, suggesting her body had strong mechanisms to counteract cellular stress – damage to cells that can lead to ageing and disease.