I would venture certainly not. Witness the life expectancy trajectory from 1860 to 2020 … United States: life expectancy 1860-2020 | Statista Notice that life expectancy trends upward, relentlessly, particularly through the time of food processing post-WWII. Granted, US life expectancy has lagged wealthy Western and Northern European countries, but not by a large amount. And I would speculate that exposure to the American healthcare system, by itself, may explain the difference. Discuss!
Turn it right-side up and we’re still dying. I have family and friends who are carnivore, Keto, Mediterranean, Vegan, Lacto-Ovo, Pescatarian, fruitarian and fosters. Fat to skinny, they’re all going to die.
IMO, the only upside of pan-panic was that we hear so much about food fears. But as fear has subsided from sneeze-borne organ-melting sniffles … they’re back with a vengeance.
My dad told me his mom always ate like a bird (not very much). She died after a fall when she was 102 years old. She walked a lot as well. I think moderate exercise and not eating too much will increase your lifespan. Start slow and walk 200 yards. Work your way up to 400 yards and eventually a mile. An ultimate goal might be 6 miles at a brisk pace. I ran and walked 50 miles one day in 10th grade. Between 11th and 12th grade I remember running 35.5 miles in one day. I was 6'5" and 165 pounds. I was born with a heart murmur. Looking back I think the running I did that I thought was beneficial probably harmed me.
My grandmothers never exercised, ate available food (British grandmother made scrapple, American grandmother cooked bacon in grease) and they lived to 94 and 92 respectively.
There are two groups of Americans: (1) Americans who are gluten-sensitive and (2) Americans who want to be gluten-sensitive.
The advancements in modern medicine and technology are driving this. That said. An understanding food and how the body uses food is a vital part of that. Inflammation is what you need to avoid. And I think to your point there are situations where obese people can eat healthy and actually have low inflammation levels. At the same time I think you can have what we would consider a normal weight person eat like junk and their body be in a state of inflammation. I would say the normal weight person in that circumstance is in a far more concerning health circumstance. I think you will find those who have body weights in the normal level likely eat in ways that have their bodies not in a state of inflammation at much higher rates than those that are at any level of obesity. ***I do think the obesity scale is antiquated***
My grandmother lived Into her late 80's, but was morbidly obese and hardly left her house. So she was alive, but she wasnt really living. That is why I eat healthy and go to the gym. Its not to live longer, its to live better.
Could you elaborate on “inflammation” and how it is found ? Generally, it’s part of the healing process. Ex: think of the way the area around a splinter gets angry as the splinter is being pushed to the surface.
Sorry about your grandmother. Any idea why she became morbidly obese that late in life ? Did she develop a metabolic disorder ? Whatever the case, her situation flies in the face of the old bromide “the reason we know obesity kills is because you don’t see severely obese people in their 80’s.” If she ate herself to death it took a long time for the food to kill her. She lived well in access of the average American. I already mentioned my sedentary grandmothers who lived well into their 90’s.
We must stay active as we age. It can be difficult….. literally hurt while developing strength, endurance, flexibility, etc …… but it is worth it. I never understood those nutjobs who would spend hours in spandex riding in a very uncomfortable position on some skinny-arsed tire bike. But after 5 1/2 years of cycling, I understand the addiction. The ride itself is demanding but the post-ride feeling is fantastic. Plus, burning 2500+ calories on a 40-50 mile ride yield some capacity to enjoy an extra snack or beer you wouldn’t normally consume.
“Staying active” is relative. I think it’s okay to admit that our bodies wear out and to move as we can in our twilight years (wife hates that term).
Agree but staying active in a responsible manner should delay the deterioration of our much of our physical being compared to a realtor’s sedentary existence. I’ve been married to a PT for 46+ years so I’ve benefited from some excellent guidance on what to do. I never really appreciated core conditioning until I found out I have Spondylolisthesis. With conditioning I hope to avoid any surgery. Injuries are another matter so proper activity levels are important.
I agree that the ability to remain active is its own reward. That is what I taught even after abandoning my career, as a fitness consultant, because I could no longer endorse weight loss. But I doubt that a woman well into her 80’s became ponderously fat because she abandoned her exercise regimen.
