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Comment by SoftTalker

2 days ago

He was also an alcoholic for many years. Must be made of pretty good stuff to survive this long.

Of all of my grandparents and great grandparents, they all lived really hard lives eating high fat diets, drinking and smoking, and lived into their 80s. Genetics is really the biggest determining factor outside of going completely off the rails with binge eating and drug use.

Now, that's not to say that healthy living is pointless. Their quality of life from late 60s on was not great: alcoholism, poverty, multiple heart attacks, emphasima, a stroke here and there, from which they eventually, sort of, not really recovered. They were deeply unhappy people who never really seemed to have time or care for their families. I definitely don't want to live like that. So treat yourself right, but not because you're trying to reach a certain age.

  • > Genetics is really the biggest determining factor outside of going completely off the rails with binge eating and drug use.

    So true. I'm fortunate that both my parents have long-life family histories. Both families were old-fashioned Southern Baptists who didn't drink, smoke, dance or, apparently, believe in having fun of any kind :-). But that just kept them from messing up their good genetic luck. I'm an old-fashioned atheist but have chosen to never drink, smoke or do drugs just because I never saw a compelling reason to. Now I'm pushing 60 and have so far had zero serious health issues. Hoping to keep a good thing going.

    • > I'm an old-fashioned atheist but have chosen to never drink, smoke or do drugs just because I never saw a compelling reason to

      I am 17 and I am the same here (atheist) and similar and yeah I see no reason to do these things either and I actively see the negative harmful effects it can have so I am not gonna do these things at all ever in my life too.

      Have a nice day :)

      2 replies →

  • Beware survivor bias.

    In a population of equally vulnerable genetics and stochastic outcomes, there will be families that all live long.

    We are wired to attribute that to something.

  • > they all lived really hard lives eating high fat diets

    ICYMI the low fat diet craze was built on lies and corruption, fat isn't bad for you. Sugar is.