5 ms·

I don't mean to be rude, but your living grandfather is very fortunate. Your deceased grandfather lived an average lifespan for someone in most of the develope

I don't mean to be rude, but your living grandfather is very fortunate. Your deceased grandfather lived an average lifespan for someone in most of the developed world. I don't know ... a great deal about the background of your anecdote, but I would hesitate to overextrapolate, though. Sometimes the lack of activity is the manifestation of the underlying health issue that contributes to mortality.

dexwiz 7y ago
Its definitely anecdata. My surviving Grandfather has lost two wives (both active as he was) to cancer, so his life style alone does not confer longevity. That does not mean the will to live is not real, and those without out it fade much faster.
- throwaway5752 7y ago
  And sometimes you have poor genes for atherosclerosis. Exercise is still a miracle drug, but I think the young underestimate the physical disabilities that inevitably come with age. The will to live may be correlated with mean survival years because of the same underlying health issues.
  - Fr0styMatt88 7y ago
    That’s a really good point. I can’t imagine someone’s will to live staying strong if they’re in constant severe pain from accumulated bone/joint/nerve issues. My dad lead a VERY active lifestyle - triathlons, squash, swimming, working on building sites, etc. What reward did he get for all that exercise and activity? Replacement hips, painful knees and developing spinal issues (spinal stenosis I think, but can’t quite remember off the top of my head) that he’s been told to live with until he can’t stand the pain anymore because surgery is incredibly risky and might not help or make things worse. He does have great cardiovascular health though and he still works at his own business, learned how to use an iPhone, etc. Still walks a ridiculous number of steps a day that puts me to shame. The mechanical issues do make it more difficult than it used to be for him though.
- thrav 7y ago
  My grandfather is passing 94 and exactly as you describe. He wants to see us all have his great grand kids, and says he’s not going anywhere until that happens. It motivated him to completely alter his diet when the doctor said so, take up physical therapy when the doctor said so, and all manner of other healthy life choices that most people just wouldn’t bother with so late in life. Good reason to live is a massive part of making choices that keep you living.
swiley 7y ago
In my experience grandparents live longer than “average” unless they’ve done something obviously harmful like smoking or sitting all day. My great grandmother just died at 90 and really what killed her was being forced to stop walking, she lost so much bone mass that the increased Gs in elevator buckled her shin.

dexwiz 7y ago

Its definitely anecdata. My surviving Grandfather has lost two wives (both active as he was) to cancer, so his life style alone does not confer longevity. That does not mean the will to live is not real, and those without out it fade much faster.

throwaway5752 7y ago
And sometimes you have poor genes for atherosclerosis. Exercise is still a miracle drug, but I think the young underestimate the physical disabilities that inevitably come with age. The will to live may be correlated with mean survival years because of the same underlying health issues.
- Fr0styMatt88 7y ago
  That’s a really good point. I can’t imagine someone’s will to live staying strong if they’re in constant severe pain from accumulated bone/joint/nerve issues. My dad lead a VERY active lifestyle - triathlons, squash, swimming, working on building sites, etc. What reward did he get for all that exercise and activity? Replacement hips, painful knees and developing spinal issues (spinal stenosis I think, but can’t quite remember off the top of my head) that he’s been told to live with until he can’t stand the pain anymore because surgery is incredibly risky and might not help or make things worse. He does have great cardiovascular health though and he still works at his own business, learned how to use an iPhone, etc. Still walks a ridiculous number of steps a day that puts me to shame. The mechanical issues do make it more difficult than it used to be for him though.
thrav 7y ago
My grandfather is passing 94 and exactly as you describe. He wants to see us all have his great grand kids, and says he’s not going anywhere until that happens. It motivated him to completely alter his diet when the doctor said so, take up physical therapy when the doctor said so, and all manner of other healthy life choices that most people just wouldn’t bother with so late in life. Good reason to live is a massive part of making choices that keep you living.

swiley 7y ago

In my experience grandparents live longer than “average” unless they’ve done something obviously harmful like smoking or sitting all day. My great grandmother just died at 90 and really what killed her was being forced to stop walking, she lost so much bone mass that the increased Gs in elevator buckled her shin.