About SLOWageing
Started with a book. Became a research platform. Now rebuilding with sharper tools.
Kate Marie
In 2003, whilst wielding a couple of dumbbells in a gym class, Kate had a realisation: there were no accepted best practice guidelines when it came to staying well and avoiding disease. She had no chance of slowing her own ageing process unless she got better educated about her options.
She started SLOWageing at 40 after a blunt moment of self-honesty. Lost 14kg, pulled herself out of depression and turned it into a method. Then life did what it does. She got smashed, rebuilt, got smarter and stronger.
She’s spent years testing approaches and treatments on herself, willing to trial almost any intervention and share the outcomes. The setbacks, the moments where it all fell apart, the way back up: that’s what made the method clearer.
Kate co-authored the Australian best seller Fast Living, Slow Ageing and Slow Ageing Guide to Skin Rejuvenation with Professor Merlin Thomas.
In her words
‘I’ve kept up with the research and applied it to my own life, so I know what we need to do to stay strong and capable as we head into our later decades. I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned and what works.’
This reboot
This reboot is for women who’ve taken hits, kept moving and want a plan that respects what they’ve been through. Not generic wellness advice. Real personalisation based on your biology, your constraints, your life.
How we got here
- 2009
Fast Living, Slow Ageing published
Co-authored with Professor Merlin Thomas. 25,000 copies distributed, 13,000 placed in GP offices and medical waiting rooms across Australia. Now in its fifth edition.
- 2017
Slow Ageing Guide to Skin Rejuvenation
Second book in the series. Consumer education on skin ageing, cosmetic medicine and non-invasive interventions, cutting through misinformation with science.
- 2017
Slowaging.org launched
Blog and resource platform extending the books. Articles, expert advice and practical content on nutrition, activity, brain health and stress management.
- 2018
SLOWbot chatbot pilot
Partnership with Italy's FBK research centre. 54 women completed a two-week pilot testing healthy ageing interventions delivered via chatbot. Published research paper.
- 2018
Values and personality research
Collaboration with Dr Laura Le Duc (James Madison University). Developed a quiz identifying personality traits and values that influence health decisions in women. Four distinct personas identified.
- 2019
Live Long, Live Strong risk assessment
In-depth musculoskeletal and chronic disease risk reports for women. Personalised recommendations based on body composition, age, lifestyle and medical history.
- 2019
Disease-fighting eating plan
Ontology-based platform generating personalised diet plans targeting chronic disease reduction. Combined scientific research with nutritional databases and individual profiles.
- 2020 to 2024
Project stalled
COVID hit. Life intervened. The project went quiet while Kate rebuilt her own health and understanding.
- 2025 to 2026
The reboot
Rebuilding with clearer focus. Data Not Diets ebook published. Updated diet and nutrition content in progress. New personalised tools and protocols in development.
- 2026
Three tools live
Body Baseline, SLOW moves and the Lifespan research feed, free and open to anyone. The Live Long Live Strong research program is under proposal with a university partner, building on the SLOWbot pilot and the original book; Body Baseline is the consumer expression of that work. See the tools
The team
Founder
Kate Marie
Marketing strategist turned health researcher. Co-authored the Slow Ageing books, led the SLOWbot pilot, and has spent over 20 years testing ageing interventions on herself. Runs the project.
Scientific lead
Professor Merlin Thomas
Professor of Medicine at Monash University. Physician, scientist and author. Specialises in endocrinology and kidney medicine at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. More than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Co-author of Fast Living, Slow Ageing. More about Professor Thomas
Clinical lead
Dr Chris Mitchell
Clinical advisor for the SLOWageing research and assessment programs.
Consultant
Dr Jarrod Meerkin
Accredited exercise physiologist. Featured in the Slow Ageing video series on DEXA scanning, bone health and sarcopenia.
The SLOW framework
The original Fast Living Slow Ageing book established SLOW as a seven-principle framework for conscious ageing: awareness and engagement, clear goals, eliminating negatives, sustainability, multimodal approaches, support, and personalisation.
The 2025 revision evolves the acronym to reflect what we’ve learned:
S. Strategic
Informed choices based on your personal risk profile, not someone else’s advice.
L. Lifespan management
Your decades are a resource to manage, not a decline to soften. Follow the research
O. Organised
Stick to the plan, do the non-negotiables, stop chasing the next thing.
W. Willing
Do the work. All of it. Including the parts you would rather skip.
The SLOWageing update
One email a month: what the research says, and what you can do now. No selling, no sponsorships.