> […] and to live to ~30. People used to die younger because of injuries, illnesses and poor nutrition, not because the body is only "supposed" to live for 30

> […] and to live to ~30. People used to die younger because of injuries, illnesses and poor nutrition, not because the body is only "supposed" to live for 30 years. > Additionally (and importantly) evolution is only a factor up until age ~30-35 (child bearing/rearing age). Evolution plays no role in protecting us from most modern afflictions (obesity, alzheimer's, cancer, etc). That's absolutely not true. It seems likely that older people have played an important role in society throughout, helping take care of children while the more able work, sources of wisdom &c. While evolution hasn't eliminated all diseases of the old age (because it doesn't work actively like that) longer-lived genes have provided some survival advantage.