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
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.
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.
Slowaging.org launched
Blog and resource platform extending the books. Articles, expert advice and practical content on nutrition, activity, brain health and stress management.
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.
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.
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.
Disease-fighting eating plan
Ontology-based platform generating personalised diet plans targeting chronic disease reduction. Combined scientific research with nutritional databases and individual profiles.
Project stalled
COVID hit. Life intervened. The project went quiet while Kate rebuilt her own health and understanding.
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.
The team
Kate Marie
FounderMarketing 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.
Professor Merlin Thomas
Scientific leadProfessor of Medicine at Monash University. Physician, scientist and author. Specialises in endocrinology and kidney medicine at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. Over 270 published articles in leading medical journals. Co-author of Fast Living, Slow Ageing.
Dr Chris Mitchell
Clinical leadClinical advisor for the SLOWageing research and assessment programs.
Dr Jarrod Meerkin
ConsultantAccredited 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 evidence. Not hopeful guesses or trend-chasing.
L: Longevity mindset
Decisions that compound over decades. Short-term compliance is not the goal.
O: Ownership
Your data, your agency, your outcomes. Individual biology matters more than any template.
W: Wise investment
Directing time and effort where the evidence says it counts. Risk management over quick fixes.