Is Longevity Just Statistics? My Experience from an Italian Blue Zone
So, I’d like to start a serious discussion, and I hope I can express my point as clearly as possible:
I’ve read a lot—really a lot—of posts saying that aging is 70–80% genetics and statistics. In reality, there are people who have smoked, drunk alcohol, and never exercised who still reach 90 in good health, and others who followed all the guidelines but got sick or died young.
Setting genetics and statistics aside for a moment, what idea have you formed? And above all, are there people here over 70 who can testify that a healthy lifestyle has benefited them, giving them extra years in good health and making them feel well?
Or do we just have to “trust” the data and research that tell us what’s good and what’s bad?
I’ll start by saying that I live in the Italian Blue Zone, and I can guarantee that I don’t know any elderly person who hasn’t smoked, who doesn’t drink wine or anise liqueur (grappa or, in general, 40% alcohol), and who has ever set foot in a gym or done any kind of sport.
It can’t all be reduced to statistics—tell me what you think.