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Eat less, not just for a better a slim body, but also for an increased life expectancy of 20 years, say researchers at the Institute of Health Aging at the University College London who are developing a treatment to extend life expectancy.

The researchers are studying how genetics and lifestyle choices can be altered in order to attain an increased life expectancy by offsetting the effects of aging.

The team of researchers who are currently working on 'how to increasing life expectancy of rats by 30 percent by reducing food intake,' believe that diseases related to aging, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer can be fought with this treatment.

 "If you reduce the diet of a rat by 40 percent it will live for 20 or 30 percent longer. So we would be talking 20 years of human life. This has shown on all sorts of organisms, even Labradors," lead researcher Dr. Mathew Piper told the Independent.

The scientists who have already prolonged life span in mice and flies, are also working on the effects on fruit flies, which share 60 percent of human genes and age. They hope that this will work for human beings too.

"If we discover the genes involved with aging, we should be able to delay aging itself. This is what we've found," Dr. Piper added, also revealing that he and his team could successfully elongate the life of organisms by mutating single genes.

However, Dr Piper said that since the research into prolonging life expectancy is only a decade old, it still remains 'theoretical,' reports The Oslo Times.

The research is being displayed at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London.