When former What Not to Wear co-host Stacy London pitched a show about mid-life transformation, she was met with crickets. “Everybody said nobody wanted to watch middle-aged women,” she recalls. “But first of all, who are The Real Housewives?” Completely valid jokes aside, London firmly believes that seeing people transformed, taking agency in their life, and creating something new is the most “hopeful” form of television there is.

For example, when it comes to menopause and discussing it on a wider scale, London wants women to know “everything” about the natural process and believes that Generation X is going to be the ones remembered for the full transparency regarding women and their bodies. “I think the worst thing about menopause are the things that we’re just starting to talk about, which are the big feelings associated with menopause,” says London. “It’s really anxiety, grief, rage, things that may feel very uncomfortable to people, and we’re just now starting to talk about it and not just to normalize it, but to optimize for it.”

London also worries about life after menopause and how that will impact her cardiovascular, bone, and cognitive health. “These are things that are so important that women do not talk about enough.” She adds, “I think one of the toughest moments I had to deal with in my own health was spine surgery. It was a significant surgery and a pretty long recovery. I remember thinking ‘I’m never going to let my body down again. I’m always going to take care of her.’”

Watch what else London had to say about health, getting older, and the benefits — and privilege — of aging in the video above.

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