do you think you will live long? does your family have longevity?

[jefhatfield]

after having taken a couple of longevity tests, i could expect to live betweeen 69 to 78

i know according to the us census, someone who was born male in the usa when i was could expect to live to nearly 67

i pretty much know that i am not the type of person that will likely live to 100 or necessarily want to

do you have longevity in your family?

[pseudobrit]

Everyone on my dad's side of the family gets cancer. I'll live to 80 at most.

[jefhatfield]

i grew up in a retirement area, which i later moved back to...and 80 is actually doing real good if you are a man

as a kid growing up and observing, i figured everybody lived to 80 since i saw tons of people in that age range...but now that i am older and more aware, i realize that those were/are mostly women

i saw a tv special on senior living in florida, and how the widows at age 70 dealt with dating...at that age, women outnumber men in that region 4 to 1

my wife used to go out dancing with her work friends and there was this one extremely fit lady who was in her late 60s at the time....looked maybe 50 or so...and said she did not like older men, because men her age drooled too much:p

[Veldek]

You know that all these tests and average ages are just statistics. They classify you and look in their databases how long an equal person lived. But that's why they don't say anything about a special person. You could live longer and shorter and there were people that lived longer or died earlier. So the age you were told is just an average.

I'm sure I will live long and hope to reach at least the 100. Not because there are stats that make me believe so, and even not because my family has longevity (not at all), but just because I think that an optimistic view will help you in becoming older. Less stress is healthy!

[void]

I think I will live pretty long, My Grandfather just died yesterday at 87, I'm just about to leave for the airport for the funeral

[NavyIntel007]

Yeah, you have to figure that men are more likely to be overweight, heavy drinkers, smokers (though women are all catching up) so that figures into why men are suppose to live shorter lives than women.

I had a grandfather die of lymphoma and my grandmother die of pancreatic cancer (she drank alot of sweet-n-low too). My grandmother that's still alive has altzheimers (spell?) and my other grandfather had prostate cancer and lots of kidney stones but got that taken care of. Now, he has muscular distrophy of the throat. That's the scary one because eventually he's not going be able to keep any food down at all. My mom knows she's going to get it because she has trouble swallowing some things.

So I guess I can take my pick right?

[Kwyjibo]

Originally posted by void
I think I will live pretty long, My Grandfather just died yesterday at 87, I'm just about to leave for the airport for the funeral

sorry to hear that. I hope the service is properly done ....

[iGav]

My Grandad (Dad's Dad) died in his early 60's... 63 I think...

My Dad died at 46

So the direct male side of my family dies young...

My Granma (Dad's Mum) lived to 85 and her Mum to 97 so things are alittle better there...

As for my Mum's side, her Mum lived to 85, and her Dad is 80 next month and still going strong...

Heart Attacks and Cancer are the big 2 killers in my family...

We also average 1 family funeral a year. :(

[MetallicPenguin]

As I'm only 11 I'm not sure but I have a feeling I will get Cancer. I don't think anyone has had cancer in my family, but...oh well. Does Cancer usually flow in the family or is it kind of just a thing you get?

[Veldek]

Originally posted by MetallicPenguin
As I'm only 11 I'm not sure but I have a feeling I will get Cancer. I don't think anyone has had cancer in my family, but...oh well. Does Cancer usually flow in the family or is it kind of just a thing you get?

Man, why so depressive??? You can't be sure about it, so I wouldn't care more than perhaps not eating some things and be careful with others. You ruin your life, if you go on thinking this way.

[irmongoose]

My whole Dad's side has heart problems... but my Grandfather and Grandmother lived until their 80's so they didn't really die young. But I'm pretty sure I'll also die due to heart problems...



irmongoose

[jefhatfield]

what's strange is that the worst three fatal factors in my life are gender, family history, and weight according to a northwestern mutual life longevity test

but i can't change my male gender i was born with and suddenly say i was born a female...yes, women live longer

and i cannot erase some of the health problems on my mother's side of the family who came and went before me

but i do have control over my weight, so it is there where i can hopefully add time to my life by eating a sensible diet and exercising for life

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Everyone on my dad's side of the family gets cancer.

where do they live? all in one area of the country? or...?

[celaurie]

Listen, it doesn't matter how long whatever relative lives - there's always that random chance you could drop dead tomorrow or be flattened by a speeding Arctic.

Live life for what it is. For the now - and forget about dying, it'll come soon enough.

[mymemory]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Everyone on my dad's side of the family gets cancer. I'll live to 80 at most.

The same thing here, but I'm more concern about how I'm going to spend all those years. To reach the 80's in a guetto is different than doing in it under a good retirement.

[wdlove]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
what's strange is that the worst three fatal factors in my life are gender, family history, and weight according to a northwestern mutual life longevity test

Is the Northwestern Mutual Life Longevity Test available online?

[MacFan25]

I think that I will probably live a long time. (knocks on wood :D) One of my grandfather's (my dad's dad) is 87. Then my mom's parents are still living in their early 70's fairly well. I had a great-gradmother who lived past 90. And she was in pretty good health up until a few weeks before she died.

[vniow]

My family is pretty healthy body-wise...few heart problems and a couple people with diabetes but nothing too out of the ordinary...its the mind that the grandkids have to worry about in my family...there's quite a few with schizophrenia and so far none of the grandkids have shown any signs of it, but it sure as hell could explain a lot in my case...

[jelloshotsrule]

the only disease i know of that's going through my family like wildfire is alcoholism on the male side of things


beer me

[beatle888]

i dont know but i need to start taking vitamins. i have horrible eating habits. im still not use to the fact that i WILL die one day. its hard to believe and its a FACT. well have fun now. dont let anyone steal your good time.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by wdlove
Is the Northwestern Mutual Life Longevity Test available online?


actually, it's one of several and i should have put a link while i thought about it...a simple search on longevity will bring up different tests...the other test was one i can't remember the origin of

the big factors affecting one's chances are gender, weight, smoking, exercise, family history and the tests will ask some questions on those

i fooled with the different factors pretending to be different people at different weights and different family history and the most deciding factor was gender...women live many years longer than men...they are the tougher sex

i think the baby boomers lived in an age where the expectancy was just better than mid-60s and now it's almost ten years better due to things like people knowing about red meat, fat, smoking, salt, drinking, and exercise

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by beatle888
i dont know but i need to start taking vitamins. i have horrible eating habits. im still not use to the fact that i WILL die one day. its hard to believe and its a FACT. well have fun now. dont let anyone steal your good time.

i worked pt in a hospital for three years...that was an eye opener

we all know 80 year olds somewhere in our family or extended family and start thinking that if they can do it, so can you...as if it's a right like freedom of speech in america...but the truth is that 70s would really great/fantastic for some people who live in struggling health starting in their 40s or sooner

i know a lady who has degenerative back disease, cataracts, stigmatism, panic attacks, manic depression, weight issues being 100-150 lbs overweight, severe medical morphine addiction, memory loss, hair loss, and other problems which have plagued her for years...she is in her 40s and may live ten more years

despite her almost hopeless situation, she lives as if she will make it into her 80s and keeps an optomistic viewpoint on life and though it's highly unrealistic, it has kept her going this far and many doctors have seen much healthier people die sooner

[medea]

I don't know that much about my family's longevity, I only knew my grandparents from my mothers side and they both died from lung cancer so they wouldn't be good examples, but I take pretty good care of myself, ok so I don't excersize as much as I should but I eat really well and drink a lot of green tea etc. so I should live long if it depends on my health, I could walk outside and get hit by a car though so who knows really?

[wdlove]

Originally posted by vniow
My family is pretty healthy body-wise...few heart problems and a couple people with diabetes but nothing too out of the ordinary...its the mind that the grandkids have to worry about in my family...there's quite a few with schizophrenia and so far none of the grandkids have shown any signs of it, but it sure as hell could explain a lot in my case...

I pray that you don't have or develop schizophrenia vinow. It usually hits 18 - 24 year olds. On the bright side, many with mental illness have gone on to greatness, Mike Wallace. I suffer from mental illness myself, hope no one will look down on me!

http://www.narsad.org/

[wdlove]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
i worked pt in a hospital for three years...that was an eye opener

we all know 80 year olds somewhere in our family or extended family and start thinking that if they can do it, so can you...as if it's a right like freedom of speech in america...but the truth is that 70s would really great/fantastic for some people who live in struggling health starting in their 40s or sooner

i know a lady who has degenerative back disease, cataracts, stigmatism, panic attacks, manic depression, weight issues being 100-150 lbs overweight, severe medical morphine addiction, memory loss, hair loss, and other problems which have plagued her for years...she is in her 40s and may live ten more years

despite her almost hopeless situation, she lives as if she will make it into her 80s and keeps an optomistic viewpoint on life and though it's highly unrealistic, it has kept her going this far and many doctors have seen much healthier people die sooner

Optimism is really a big factor in illness and longevity of life. It can suprise physicians! If you find a link, I'd be interested!

[scem0]

There isn't much cancer in my family, but my grandmother has parkinson's. I eat very healthy relative to the average teenager. My great grandmother is approaching 100.

It looks like i'll live till ~80 or so.

I don't want to live past 100 to tell you the truth. Life just isn't the same at that age. :(

http://www.my-smileys.de/signs/77430bbce83afc89881430e177cabb9b.png

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
where do they live? all in one area of the country? or...?

All in the same town, pretty much.

Cancer just loves us young.

[Doctor Q]

I will live to be 100, but I won't know in advance what base the 100 is in. I hope it's more like 9 or 10 and not 7 or 8! :) Two grandparents died on the younger side and two died on the older side so that's no clue.

I read once that, across species, animals tend to have about the same number of heartbeats per lifetime. That seems to correspond with the short lifespan of flying bugs that operate at a furious pace vs. elephants and tortoises with their slow lifestyles. I wonder if a fast heartbeat in humans leads to an ealier "burnout"?

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
All in the same town, pretty much.

Cancer just loves us young.

may i ask where?... what part of the country? city? near chemical plants? anything like that?

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
may i ask where?... what part of the country? city? near chemical plants? anything like that?

No active chemical plants in town really, though it is about 15 miles away from TMI. I'm a TMI baby too! :o Explains a lot

There has been industry in town and there still is a little bit of it, but my mom's family have lived in the same town and have had no cancer.

It's Columbia, PA. I don't live there anymore, though I visit quite often.

[tpjunkie]

There seems to be decent longevity on my father's side, my grandfather died the month before his 93rd birthday, my grandmother is 92 now. On my mother's side my grandfather died of a heart attack before i was born (he was a smoker). my grandmother is 76 and active though. She had a uncle (my great-great-uncle) who was 100 years older than me, and he lived until he was 104... at his 103st birthday, somone took a picture of me sitting on his lap.

So it looks like i could probably expect to pass 85

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
No active chemical plants in town really, though it is about 15 miles away from TMI. I'm a TMI baby too! :o Explains a lot

There has been industry in town and there still is a little bit of it, but my mom's family have lived in the same town and have had no cancer.

It's Columbia, PA. I don't live there anymore, though I visit quite often.

hmm. my bro would be interested.. he's all about cancer rates and such (chemical engineer).

i once played golf at a place right by three mile island... spooky

[jethroted]

It's hard to say for me. No one in my family has died yet. At least the ones that have been around since I've been alive. I still have my grand parents. Only the great grand parents are dead, and don't know anything about them. I'm 25, so that is pretty good I guess that no one has gone yet.

[wdlove]

How old were your great grandparents when they died, jethroted?

[bbarnhart]

My great grandmothers both died at an old age. Don't know about my great grandfathers. I'm 34 and I have one living grandmother around 85. Her husband died around 82 from a fall. My other grandmother died around 80. She had dementia and died of poor care. Her husband died around 82 from a fall. Besides the mental disease, none ever had cancer, heart problems or any major ailments.

Both my parents are doing fine and no health problems. I also have no problems (knock on wood). So, I'm expecting to live to at least 85.

[jethroted]

Originally posted by wdlove
How old were your great grandparents when they died, jethroted?

I'm not sure, they were dead before I was born. I think on my dads side they were around 80-90. I have no clue on my moms side though.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by jethroted
It's hard to say for me. No one in my family has died yet. At least the ones that have been around since I've been alive. I still have my grand parents. Only the great grand parents are dead, and don't know anything about them. I'm 25, so that is pretty good I guess that no one has gone yet.

that's amazing...when i was 25 i had already lost both grandfathers who were 84 and 79 and shortly after that, i lost one of my grandmothers

[Megaquad]

On my mothers side, family lives up to 90.
On fathers side they die around 60 from stomach pain and being nervous.
That means i should live to around 75 unless of course i got hit by a car or something.
:rolleyes:

[Stelliform]

I think women live longer because they generally go to the doctor more than men. (Personal opinion) My wife, her mother and my mother probably see a doctor 5 to 8 times a year. I have seen a doctor 3 times in the last 6 years. I could have gone more but I chose not too. Men in general avoid going to the doctor.

Of my two grandfathers, one smoked like a chimney and died in his mid 60's and the second one is still alive, but he is currently dying of cancer at 83. He has chosen not to try to treat the cancer. He figures it is his time.

[hvfsl]

Women live longer because it is in their genes, women have always lived longer than men.

As for me I am a christain so I plan to live forever :)

[Wes]

Well, I have never met my grandfathers... not too good. One of them commited suicide (Mental Problems for me) and the other died of a heart attack at about 70 at a train station. Both grandmothers are still going strong at 88 and 93.

[scem0]

Originally posted by hvfsl
Women live longer because it is in their genes, women have always lived longer than men.

As for me I am a christain so I plan to live forever :)

Yeah, and I'm an atheist, so I'm never going to live at all. pah. :o ;)

If your living by a landfill, that can increase your chances of cancer. So maybe Jethroted lives by a landfill or something.

http://www.my-smileys.de/signs/77430bbce83afc89881430e177cabb9b.png

[lmalave]

I expect to live to between 90 and 100, or maybe even beyond. My grandfather (mom's dad) who I apparently inherited my health from is 91 and still going strong. He worked on his farm until he was into his 80s. And we're not talking sitting on a tractor, we're talking hacking up and down tropical jungle hills. Almost everyone from the barrio where my grandparents live lives to at least 90. Just last Thanksgiving I visited a neighbor who was 112 years old. It's all about eating healthy, staying active, and not letting stress get to you.

[edit]
And note how modern society is awash in junk food, sedentary lifestyle, and stress. It's not just about longevity - modern medicine can keep you a bedridden vegetable for years. It's about how many quality years you have, and the only way to extend those years is a healthy lifestyle.