Do the most long lived people that you know have healthy lifestyles?

[Bumpitybumper]

I have been listening to a few podcasts lately that have really stressed the importance of healthy living and things like diet and exercise. None of them really have any tolerance for things that I think most of the population enjoy quite regularly like the odd biscuit or cake. They also don't think it's enough to eat a diet that would be traditionally considered healthy with 57
portions of fruit and veg as now the emphasis is on eating the right fruit and vegetables and nuts and seeds etc. You have to do a certain number of days cardio and strength training. It really is never ending.

It got me thinking that the people that I know that have lived the longest in relatively good health have generally been pretty active and eaten well but haven't really got anywhere close to the lifestyle that these health experts advocate. Is my experience unusual or have others found the same thing in their lives?

I'll be honest, as a smoker and a lover of red wine, this thread is making for interesting reading! If I'm still here in 40 years I'll come back and resurrect the thread (Assuming MN is still around!).

Being serious though, of course I know these things aren't good for me. I enjoy them though and my retirement isn't going to be a fun filled ride. I'm single, that's unlikely to change. I will only have state pension, that definitely won't change (unless I win the lottery!). I also had DC at a young age and have no desire to outlive them. I've also made sure to do the things in life I want to do now. While I'm still able to do them. So all in all, 70-75 would be a good innings for me. Which is 16-21 years away! So not that far.

Maybe when I get closer to that I'll feel differently and suddenly give up everything bad. Who knows!

I think genetics play a much bigger part than we think.

Then being sociable/ having lots of friends/ a positive outlook.

I do worry about all the chemicals and toxins we are exposed to now versus our grandparents. I often wonder if, despite all the medical advances the average life expectancy may stop increasing. It
seems like those born around/ just after the war had a simpler, healthier lifestyle in terms of lack of pesticides, ultra processed foods,
plastics etc.

There’s a reason why 1 in 2 of us will get cancer. Our genes aren’t changing but our environment is.

Dh has 3 GP all alive still. All chain smoked 30 odd fags a day. Still do. Overweight /obese..
Ages 91, 94, 89

The healthiest one who wasnt over weight. Did smoke but not many. Ate healthy passed away age 70

Three of my aunts lived til 90, my mum 89 and one uncle lasted til 97 and another still going strong at 94.
One of my aunts smoked every day until she had a health scare at 84. Always a wee bit overweight and somewhat agoraphobic so didn't like leaving the house much (so not a lot of exercise).
My own mother had cancer and a chronic blood condition and very much enjoyed her wine! She was very active and slim until her early 80s though, and was quite ill last few years and skinny skinny.
My uncle had emphysema and high blood pressure.
My living uncle always ate healthy, didn't smoke or drink much.
None of them had dementia.
So really a mixed bag.
I think it's luck (that you don't get a disease like cancer, or have an accident), maintaining a good weight and being active, and being engaged with family and/or community.

My great uncle Cecil was 96 when he died. He literally got dementia at 95 for a year then that was it!
So 95 long happy years.
He was a heavy drinker, smoker, grew up in the Manchester smog, survived the Salford Blitz & ww2, ate nothing but fry-ups, full fat everything, used dirty water to wash up in every day, in every photo I've seen he was pissed!
But - he was very slim until old age as he'd only had 1 (sometimes cold) meal a day into adulthood due to growing up in poverty.
7 siblings who survived childhood also were slim & lived well into their 80s / 90s.
(1 sister died young of kidney failure caused by medication, & 2 died of the effects of poverty in infancy.)

I really think being happy is the best medicine of all. My in laws smoke and drank and took little exercise when older. However they socialised endlessly and enjoyed their life to the full. Died in their late eighties.

To an extent. My grandparents both ate balanced diets but my grandmother definitely had a sweet tooth. Grandfather smoked for much of his adult life and didn't quit until his 60s. Both were light drinkers (one glass at dinner). They didn't 'exercise' in the modern sense but walked everyday. My grandmother became quite round in her old age but grandfather was always slim (and vain about it!) They lived to late 80s.

My grandmother was actually riddled with health problems throughout midlife and was lucky to have a decent GP.

Most of the very elderly people I've met (90+) seem to have reached that age largely through luck and genetics. One common factor seems to be that they aren't isolated - I think having friends and family around is important.

Meanwhile, some of the most health conscious people I've met have died prematurely of cancer, heart attacks etc.

Who knows?

My uncle (on Mum's side) died last year at 104. Didn't smoke or drink much but I doubt his diet would have been exemplary. He was in Canada and chose to be euthanised. Not much of one for exercise.

I have an aunt (on Dad's side) who is 101. She's very frail now and waiting "to go". Also not a drinker or smoker but was vegetarian all her adult life and grew all her own veg. Only stopped cycling in her 90s.

MIL is 92. Again not a smoker or drinker. Plain diet. Also home grown veg.

I’m sure a lot of it’s down to genes. My DM often used to say she was from ‘good stock’ - she was one of 5 who all lived into their mid or late 80s. Her own DM was one of 10 ditto, except for one, who was 60-odd.

My DM went on to 97 and always smoked until she moved to a care home at 89. But she had dementia for her last 15 years - died of that and ‘old age’.

A GGF on my DF’s side lived to 94, no illnesses that I know of, but he didn’t smoke or drink. His dd, my GM, lived into her late 80s, no illnesses that I ever heard of.

Dh’s mother did everything you’re supposed to - healthy eating, never smoked, hardly drank, lots of exercise, but still died of cancer at 68. Her own DM died of cancer even younger, ditto her younger brother. OTOH her elder brother drank like a fish and smoked like a chimney, and lived well into his 80s.

I agree genetics are a huge part of this. Plus routines around keeping active.

One relative is 100 next week, their children are in their early 80's all fit and well, they eat small healthy portions and walk twice a day. Nothing more than a bit of arthritis but it doesn't stop them.

Interestingly the next generation in their 50's are not as healthy at all. I think the difference has been down to sunburn as children, poorer diets and stressful occupations with less time to keep active.

My mother is 92 and smoked 20 to 30 cigarettes a day until she gave up at 69 (when her first grandchild was born).

She has COPD and is in a care home but no dementia (at least not diagnosed) and is only there because of mobility issues and a series of falls. She had a good 20 years when she drank excessively too.

BUT she eats a largely vegetarian diet, isn't overweight, and choose vegetables, salads and fruit for most of her meals.

My dh had a great aunt who died at 103 last year. She was somewhat overweight (I'm guessing about two or three stone over the ideal) but again would have eaten a pretty healthy diet.

My father died at 81 of lung cancer but I don't think that's too bad considering that he too smoked heavily for most of his life.

Haven't RTFT so this point has probably been made but length of life is only one metric. Diet, exercise etc may only have a marginal effect on how long you live but they can have a huge effect on the quality of those years which may be even more important- I'd rather live to be an active 80 year old than 90 but spend the last 20 years incapacitated and unwell.

Women in my family seem to live a long time irrespective of healthy habits.

Politically active relatives of mine and their friends seem to live a very long life - I guess they're mentally engaged, go to tons of events and pound the streets before elections etc. Not too good on the healthy diet front, though - lots of cake bakes and buffets.

No

Research into 'blue zones' will reveal some of the factors.

My grandad is 97. He only eats the kind of "meat and two veg" meals, wouldn't touch anything as exotic as a red pepper.

He's been active, used to go out on his boat and walk around the village as long as he could but that's it. Not a physical job.

Didn't smoke, (maybe when younger before I knew him), didn't drink much.

I think it's luck and genes. Lifestyle plays a small part but I don't think your podcast hosts are right.

I was thinking, during Gun's N Roses Glastonbury performance, that they all took drugs and drank like fish but they all looked really good and fit for their years...

However, they are all a healthyish weight. Made me wonder if your weight is the biggie, as I've personally known smokers and drinkers that lived til 80s, but I don't know any of any really overweight 80+ years olds.

It’s rare to see obese 80 and 90 year olds.

The DM had a test the other day to predict how long you would live.

Questions were about the usual smoking drinking red meat exercise etc.

Digressing slightly but I keep seeing online recipes where they have two pounds of cheese and meat, seasoned badly and no vegetables as the meal of the day. Quadruple the potions an English person would eat and heart attack material. Allaimed towards Americans. I actually feel sorry for them being given such terrible nutritional information which will inevitably lead to obesity, and eventually death. I get that this isn’t all they eat but it’s so far away from the low cal meals recipes that uk based creators make.

We see it in our family on my spouses side.

Great grandmother lived to 101, wore a housecoat everyday and cleaned the house daily, swept the pathways, smoked until 96 then gave up.

Her son, now aged 86, still works 2-3 days a week as a general labourer, still has a six-pack of sorts, non-smoker, two drinks in the evening.

His daughter, 53, extremely fit, no illnesses ever. Non-smoker, two drinks in the evening.

Grandson, 22, extremely fit, non-smoker. Hardly drinks, no vices.

Common similarities, not shared by wider family members on both sides -

All look physically similar (willowy) compared to the rest of the wider family (this proves the gene theory).
Only interested in modest food portions, just not 'foodies'.
Always doing something to keep busy.
Only ever had colds, nothing worse.
Not ambitious.
Laid back, avoid confrontation.
Low blood pressure.

You just know that, bar the proverbial bus, the daughter and grandson will live to 100 or so.

Relative in her late 80s I know is slim, does her own cleaning and food shopping, positive outlook on life and chats to everyone when out and about and on the phone every day. Eats lots of veg but also sugary treats in moderation. Minimal alcohol - still has her brother and sister alive too so probably genetics count for a lot (as her sister has been overweight most of her mid - old life)

My Great Grandmother only used butter and Olive oil and ate fish most days, no junk food. Five children and an active hard life in poor conditions. Never smoked during the day but drank cup after cup of tea. After clearing up after dinner every single night apart from Sunday( she had church to attend) and certain Saints days she sat at the kitchen table, turned on the radio and smoked a packet of cigs and drank a quarter bottle of whisky. She lived alone without carers until she died at the grand age of 104. My Dad smoked for 30 years, never ate junk, drank in moderation and made it to 90.

Yes of course a healthy lifestyle helps, but I think genetics and just pure luck have something to do with it. Two of the healthiest/fittest people I knew died suddenly of a cardiac arrest in their 50's, my Nan on the other hand is in her 90's and lives off a diet of cake!

My grandfather was fit - walking / gardening / fishing - but was a 20 a day smoker and a quarter bottle of spirits a day drinker. He lived to be 87, and had no medical issues until the last 3 months of his life. His sister also liked alcohol but didn't smoke and she lived to be 102.

I thought they looked bloated and unwell (specifically Axl and Slash). To be fair Axl was running around the stage quite impressively and has looked a bit odd for a while since the plastic surgery so maybe they were in better health than I first thought.