If you could take a test that would tell you how long you had to live would you take it? I wouldn’t. My choice would be to keep living fully until I quietly slip away in my sleep. I also don’t believe that a quiz about lifestyle can predict longevity.
According to a recent study people who
- avoid smoking,
- exercise three and a half hours a week,
- maintain a body mass index of less than 30 (i.e, who aren’t obese) and
- eat a diet emphasizing fruits, vegetables and whole grains
cut their risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke or cancer by 78 percent.
I do all of those things but my chances of living to 98 are still pretty slim I think. Two of my grandparents died in their 60s, my parents died in their 70s, one grandfather made it to 81 and only one grandmother made it to 98. And that grandmother was obese, got her exercise moving her fork to her mouth and ate anything that tasted good. Go figure. 😉
What about you? How long did your relatives live?
Jean, none of us are promised tomorrow, so living in the moment is important. We won’t go a minute before our time or a minute after it, so worrying about it is waste of good time.
My mother lived until she was 82 and her mother before her reached 84. If I make it that far I will be happy!
.-= Grannymar´s last blog ..Running Late =-.
My grandmother lived to 94. My mother (her daughter) lived to 75. If you go figure that trend (use subtraction), I should have died at 56. And I could have. I discovered a cancer. Had it removed. Still kickin’.
I know that the medical help and prevention wasn’t all that hot when my folks died. I’m sure if my Mother had the problems that finally took her life was around today or even a decade ago she would have lived longer.
I know that my best buddy (not partner) had an dudoenal ulcer which was removed due to the fact that within a year they discovered a less invasive treatment…his op did not go well and he was left with many other more nasty problems, which have followed him through his life!
My sister is 83 I remember how she was sure she would never see in year 2000….she had polio when she was in her 20s and her health has never been all that crash-hot but she is still here whilst our middle siblings have both died. My brother is in his late 70s and my sister in her late 60s.
I’m still here…apparently I wasn’t meant to survive. My Mum was in her late 40s and in the 1950s a baby that late had not many chances! I turned out reasonably ok – I’ve a few invisible disabilities that at times become very visible!
I think I took that test…online…once eons ago I can’t remember what the result was.
.-= Cathy in NZ´s last blog ..RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY! =-.
My relatives are quite long-lived. Usually well into their 80’s, so I’m looking good to live to 100.
But the real work starts now – I’m 50 and can’t rely on youthful vigour for much longer. For me it will be taking up a tai chi class (or preferably qi gong – but there is little of that about) and maybe thinking about a herbal formula.
Michael Marmot (see his The Status Syndrome) has shown, that for those whose basic needs are met the biggest factor affecting all cause mortality is status in the hierarchy. In my view the benefit of status is agency – you may be expected to do more as you move up the hierarchy but you are given more choice about when and how to do it. I think this research changes everything – genuinely revolutionary.
Grannymar,
I agree about there being no guarantees. Like you I focus on living well and letting the future take care of itself.
bikehikebabe,
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we’re glad you’re still around. Keep up the good work, we love you!
Cathy,
It just goes to show there’s no predicting. But we do have a better chance now of treating some diseases.
Evan,
I practice good health habits not for longevity but because they make me feel more alive right now. I’ve heard that higher status is good for the health, but so is eccentricity. Healthy eccentrics have stepped out of hierarchies and do what they believe in. They’ve freed themselves from worrying about what other people think. That’s the path I’m trying to take.
I am now 66. My father is alive and kicking and kicking butt too, at 92. My mother passed away when she was 77. My father’s side are all long lived and hitting 80 for them is no big deal. My mother’s side, 75 about the average. I do not know how long I will last, but like you, I would quietly like to pass away in my sleep one night. You might like to go to http://rummuser.com/?p=2200
.-= Rummuser´s last blog ..Heroism – II =-.
Rummuser,
I enjoyed your post and left some comments. As coincidence would have it I wrote a slightly more lighthearted post on the same subject at Cheerful Monk: What Were You Born to Do?
I have responded to your post on What You Were Born To do. Part in humour in response to Evan’s comment and part very serious to your query.
.-= Rummuser´s last blog ..Is Being A Woman All That Difficult? =-.