by Good Morning America
DIANE SAWYER, co-host: Well, a landmark study is out now, proving that the way you live can affect the way you age. We first told you about this study in April, and the results will be announced later today.
(VO) The twins who participated in the study celebrated at a cocktail party here in New York last night. And joining us now is plastic surgeon Dr. Darrick Antell, who conducted the study.
And also with us, two sets of twins who participated, Janet Spira and Jane Reinhart, and Gay Block and Gwyn Sirota.
And we appreciate you being with us this morning.
GUESTS (in unison): Thank you. Good morning.
DIANE SAWYER: Dr. Antell…
DR. DARRICK ANTELL (Plastic Surgeon): Yes.
DIANE SAWYER: …you have identical twins, right, same genetic makeup, and you watch how they behave and how it affects their aging process. You’re saying that it absolutely does?
DR. ANTELL: Yes. The interesting thing about this study is it’s the first study of its type where with genetically identical people we see changes in the way they age. And they’re mostly attributable to lifestyle choices.
DIANE SAWYER: Like?
DR. ANTELL: Smoking, sun exposure, stress.
DIANE SAWYER: All right. Let’s meet a couple of our candidates here. Let me ask for Gay and Gwyn about the two of you.
And, Gay, I know we’ve talked before about this. You – you’ve labeled yourself the bad twin.
(VO) What did you do that was so different from your sister?
Ms. GAY BLOCK: I had a lot of stress in my life, I did a lot of sun, did some alcohol and some drugs.
DIANE SAWYER: And you — you’re – by comparison, you’re just perfect, right?
Ms. GWYN SIROTA: I wish I could say so. But just not so excessive…(unintelligible).
DIANE SAWYER: But really not sun, not alcohol?
Ms. GWYN SIROTA: I really was – lived a lot more – less stressful life than Gay.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) OK, I’m going to put a picture up right now and show the two of you before Dr. Antell did a little surgical work on you. And you’re saying that this is the exact measure of what Gay’s lifestyle…
DR. ANTELL: (VO) Yes, and Gay, in particular, we felt that sun exposure was the main factor. She had excessive sun exposure, and the wrinkle pattern on her skin was similar to her sister’s, but there were more of them, and they were deeper.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) All right, let me go to Janet here, and let me ask Jane, first…
Ms. JANE REINHART: (VO) Yes.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) Bad twin.
Ms. JANE REINHART: (VO) No, not me. I’m very conservative. She, perhaps…
Ms. JANET SPIRA: I am. I’m the bad one.
DIANE SAWYER: (VO) OK, and I want to stress again, these are – these are their words, these are the words you all used, not mine.
And again, what was the difference in the kind of lives you lived?
Ms. JANET SPIRA: I had a more stressful life, just raising chil– two children alone. And I lived in the Midwest, where Jane has lived in the South most of her life.
DIANE SAWYER: All right, I’m going to put up the pictures again and show this to you.
(VO) And you’re saying again, we can see a life etched on a face.
DR. ANTELL: And they all — and they’ve all had surgery.
DIANE SAWYER: Come right around – come right around in the back. They all had surgery. All proving the same point, you say that your mother was right once again. And we thank you all for being with us. We’ll be back with you more.