Does anyone actually know of anyone who had an unhealthy lifestyle but lived to a ripe old age?

If my family’s history is anything to go by I should either be dead already or will live to my 90’s. My DM died at 43 following breast cancer, which our GP, believed was due to the shock following my father’s death at the age of 38. Several aunts and uncles died early ie mid 30’s to mid 40’s whilst others lived to late 90’s. Most of whom didn’t exercise, ate what would now be classed as an unhealthy diet, and enjoyed a nightcap of malt whisky. My DD death was accidental and not due to poor health and his twin brother lived till his late 70’s or perhaps later.

nanna8

I could point you to plenty of health nuts who had a short life,too. I think it is really the luck of the draw but obviously smoking and drinking heavily won’t help.

My Uncle who was the Chief Of Staff at Victoria Hospital Vancouver Island, always said that he'd 'buried more joggers' than anyone else!

Yes ! My grandfather born in Jarrow 1901- fix the March . He had a strong Geordie accent and he owned a business building the towers , steel work roofs and cooling towers for Scunthorpe Steel Works just after the war . He fell off a roof and crushed his foot and then after that became an illegal then legal bookmakers ( racing ) . He got to 91 years old despite getting up to 26 stones at only 5’2””. He smoked a lot of Oark Drivd Plain cigarettes , drank lots of whiskey . When he had a slight stroke at 79 the nurses made him lose 11 stones so was still a rotund 15 stones . I loved him !

My paternal grandpa smoked and ate everything, died in his sleep at age 97, had never been ill in the whole of his life. He fell over playing tennis at age 75, broke his leg but recovered without a limp.

If only we were all guaranteed that quality of life as we age.

I watched a documentary with June Brown ( dot cotton easterners). She lived into her 90s smoked for 70 years but she did swim every single day and was still swimming in her 90s so maybe that kept her lungs healthy.

I don't know them personally, but just look at The Rolling Stones and their druggy lifestyles.

My grandparents all died youngish (early sixties) yet didn't lead unhealthy lifestyles. My parents are still alive but are ill - my mum with bowel cancer, yet has eaten extremely healthily all her life.

I think it depends on the person's makeup, not so much their lifestyle.

I think there is an element of pot luck.
Perhaps due to genes, maybe not.

Longevity in my family Oldest lived to 104 perfectly switched on till the end. Many in their late 90’s No special diets smoked drank & played golf !
I hope I’m the same 81 yrs now Fit & healthy Do watch my diet tho

Out of curiosity I just checked and Tesco charge over £15 for a pack of 20 rothmans. That’s over £100 pw.

You'd better take up golf, just to be on the safe side.

Yes actually my dad ate Fray Bentos pies and smoked a pipe he loved to 92 but he had an awesome positive attitude to life. He did have bowel cancer and blood cancer but he still made it to 92

If they smoke 20 a day.

Yes, my neighbour pays about £16 a pack silverlining
That's enough to give me a heart attack!!

I think there is evidence that having a positive attitude to life and staying in connection with family and friends do have big health benefits - and would go on the healthy side of the scales, even if things like smoking go on the unhealthy side. Still a good idea not to smoke though!

That made me laugh. 🤭 not that it’s funny.

After a lifetime of smoking my mil gave up in her 60 s and put what she Woukd have spent on cigarettes into a jar.
After she filled the jar she opened her first ever savings account and was rightly proud and astonished at how much she had saved and how much she had spent over the years.

It's one of my pet hates, the "positive thinking" idea.

Obviously it's better for general wellbeing, and better to live that way, but I don't suppose any of the long lived people gave it much thought.

They just lived how they wanted.

silverlining48

That made me laugh. 🤭 not that it’s funny.

After a lifetime of smoking my mil gave up in her 60 s and put what she Woukd have spent on cigarettes into a jar.
After she filled the jar she opened her first ever savings account and was rightly proud and astonished at how much she had saved and how much she had spent over the years.

It's quite an achievement, to give up, and stay given up.

Yes and she just decided one day to stop. We were taking them out that weekend to a fancy place in London fir dh birthday, and I thought she would cave in as everyone smoked in the 60 s even me, but to my surprise she never smoked that night or ever again.

Yes. A male relative who lived to 83 and who drank and smoked.

I'm amazed by people who give up, just like that.
Did she treat herself from her savings?

I was never much of a smoker but I did start early and stopped mid 70 s when pregnant. Started it again until second pregnancy and then gave up for good. Hate it now.
Would have given my two hell if they had smoked but they and their partners don’t. In fact I don’t know anyone who does smoke.

Yes she did and she loved looking at her passbook to see just how much she hadn’t wasted on cigarettes.

my mum's next door neighbours worked in a cigarette factory, and they got a "bonus" each week of free fags!!

My lovely Father in law lived to 93, smoked a lot all his life, drank every day but not always until he was drunk, lived on roasts, fish and chips etc but worked until a couple of weeks before his death, after retiring from a factory job he did peoples gardens… think a long healthy life can often be down to lots of different factors