An elephant in the room: poor diet and lifestyle can lead to medical issues

In my line of work I see a lot of people at the end stages of life. Most people I see kick the bucket early simply didn’t take care of themselves and it’s evident. Yes, there are those outliers who are blessed with the genes that live a long life even with abusing their health. Genetics are only attributed to around 25 % of those who live a long life. Most times you see someone and it’s predictable how they got themselves in that condition.
 
Velocity173 said:
In my line of work I see a lot of people at the end stages of life. Most people I see kick the bucket early simply didn’t take care of themselves and it’s evident. Yes, there are those outliers who are blessed with the genes that live a long life even with abusing their health. Genetics are only attributed to around 25 % of those who live a long life. Most times you see someone and it’s predictable how they got themselves in that condition.
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Very well said
 
Part of some people's path can seem obvious, but what led them to that point isn't always obvious. Sometimes it's just self inflicted, I suppose. But a lot of times I see the person who, for whatever reason, ends up spending their existence taking care of all the people around them, and not so much themselves. Maybe altruistic, maybe it's just what they've learned. Perhaps they're leaning on cheap food because it's their escape system, perhaps it's just what they're used to, maybe it's because they don't care.

Or maybe it's just the thought "I know I need to do that, but I'll do it later". That's an easy trap to fall into. To misquote CCR, someday doesn't always happen.

People are complicated, life's hard, etc., etc.

On a lighter note - I've heard that it's not true that vegetarians live longer. It's that it SEEMS longer.
 
Velocity173 said:
In my line of work I see a lot of people at the end stages of life. Most people I see kick the bucket early simply didn’t take care of themselves and it’s evident. Yes, there are those outliers who are blessed with the genes that live a long life even with abusing their health. Genetics are only attributed to around 25 % of those who live a long life. Most times you see someone and it’s predictable how they got themselves in that condition.
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Maybe they just don’t care. If God chose to take me tomorrow, so what?
 
Morgan3820 said:
Maybe they just don’t care. If God chose to take me tomorrow, so what?
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And that’s fine. It’s their choice. But let’s be honest, most people do care about trying to stay healthy and live a long life.

I’m simply saying that if you procrastinate and put it off, generally the results will be predictable. Good genetics will only get you so far.
 
Walboy said:
I'm probably out of step with the times, but...

If you're a provider for your family, you should care. People depend on you. You also have a responsibility to set a good example for your children.
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There’s some truth to that, but if that were the primary factor in every decision none of us would fly airplanes, ride motorcycles, drive race cars, or merge onto I-4.
 
Walboy said:
I'm probably out of step with the times, but...

If you're a provider for your family, you should care. People depend on you. You also have a responsibility to set a good example for your children.
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Children grown up and out. Wife is a nurse and makes her own money. House paid for. No debt.
The thing I really like about living in the country in the South, is that people mind their own business. So long as it doesn’t directly affect them, they may disagree with it, but they don’t act on it. But if it does directly affect them. You’ll get a vigorous response.
 
Velocity173 said:
And that’s fine. It’s their choice. But let’s be honest, most people do care about trying to stay healthy and live a long life.

I’m simply saying that if you procrastinate and put it off, generally the results will be predictable. Good genetics will only get you so far.
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That’s fine. The OP asked for feedback. I provided it saying that I thought he was preachy. But now I’m learning that he wasn’t looking for feedback, he was looking for validation on his point. And he wrapped it around maintaining your FAA medical. If you go onto a forum like this and you start spouting about some non-aviation point of view, my opinion is that you’re looking for validation on your way of life or way of thinking. If he was taking a certain political opinion the management would have shut him down. Correct?

Try this for size. “ if only people became vegans they could live a healthier lifestyle and maintain their FAA medical for longer, while saving the planet. “ “ I just don’t understand why people don’t think the way I think, they would be so much better off if they just did it the way I do it.“

When you start concerning yourselves with other people‘s lives, even with the best of intentions, telling them how you think they should live it, when does it end?. We’re dealing with this right now in society. You have a very vocal minority telling other people how to think. Pushing some agenda that most people don’t agree with but shouting them down.
 
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Morgan3820 said:
That’s fine. The OP asked for feedback. I provided it saying that I thought he was preachy. But now I’m learning that he wasn’t looking for feedback, he was looking for validation on his point. And he wrapped it around maintaining your FAA medical. If you go onto a forum like this and you start spouting about some non-aviation point of view, my opinion is that you’re looking for validation on your way of life or way of thinking. If he was taking a certain political opinion the management would have shut him down. Correct?

Try this for size. “ if only people became vegans they could live a healthier lifestyle and maintain their FAA medical for longer, while saving the planet. “ “ I just don’t understand why people don’t think the way I think, they would be so much better off if they just did it the way I do it.“

When you start concerning yourselves with other people‘s lives, even with the best of intentions, telling them how you think they should live it, when does it end?. We’re dealing with this right now in society. You have a very vocal minority telling other people how to think. Pushing some agenda that most people don’t agree with but shouting them down.
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I didn’t take it as inserting himself into other’s lives. It just saw it as a lifestyle choice reminder.
 
Morgan3820 said:
The OP asked for feedback. I provided it saying that I thought he was preachy. But now I’m learning that he wasn’t looking for feedback, he was looking for validation on his point.
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I'm not sure that this is quite accurate.

While I agree with you that nobody else should tell us what to do with our own lives, I also think that much of what the OP was saying is based in valid science.

For example, if you smoke, statistically you increase your risk of cancer and hypertension, and shorten your lifespan. Stating this and recommending that you not smoke may bit a bit "preachy", but it's sound advice. The same holds true for diet and exercise recommendations.

You don't have to listen, nor do you have to follow it....but that doesn't mean that he isn't correct.

Finally, I'll point out that in our creep towards a more collectivist society, every taxpayer is forced to help pay for disease that results from poor lifestyle choices. I don't personally like this arrangement, but that's the way it is in the Western world. My personal preference would be to keep government and taxpayer dollars out of the system and let each person pay the price for their lifestyle choices, but that ship appears to have sailed.
 
StraightnLevel said:
I'm not sure that this is quite accurate.

While I agree with you that nobody else should tell us what to do with our own lives, I also think that much of what the OP was saying is based in valid science.

For example, if you smoke, statistically you increase your risk of cancer and hypertension, and shorten your lifespan. Stating this and recommending that you not smoke may bit a bit "preachy", but it's sound advice. The same holds true for diet and exercise recommendations.

You don't have to listen, nor do you have to follow it....but that doesn't mean that he isn't correct.

Finally, I'll point out that in our creep towards a more collectivist society, every taxpayer is forced to help pay for disease that results from poor lifestyle choices. I don't personally like this arrangement, but that's the way it is in the Western world. My personal preference would be to keep government and taxpayer dollars out of the system and let each person pay the price for their lifestyle choices, but that ship appears to have sailed.
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And You know, statistically, speaking, flying small planes is a very hazardous activity and we should ban it. For the peoples own good. How about them apples.?
Motorcycles, how many people are on permanent disability because of a motorcycle accident. Ban Motorcycles?

Again, where does this end?
When does a thoughtful suggestion turn into a regulation, which then turns into a law?

You can’t legislate, morals, or common sense.

Now, if you’ll forgive me, I bought some thin mints from a Girl Scout and they are calling my name. My wife is due home soon and I don’t wanna have to share.
 
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I try to focus on taking care of myself. When I was younger it wasn't so. But now I do, not so much to live longer but to live better & feel better for however long the Good Lord keeps me here ...
 
Morgan3820 said:
Again, where does this end?
When does a thoughtful suggestion turn into a regulation, which then turns into a law?

You can’t legislate, morals, or common sense.
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No, we should not legislate it. However, there is no reason to decry people discussing the issue and presenting their understanding. It's like presenting the facts around drinking and driving - yes, it is technically an infringement on freedom, but there is no reason that we shouldn't discuss it and let people know that having 6 glasses of scotch within an hour renders you unable to drive competently and safely.

Those "thoughtful suggestions", however, should not be regulated or legally mandated. This is why smaller government should be the goal, IMO, and that's where I'm going to stop before I risk getting the thread locked.
 
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Morgan3820 said:
Why do you care about the physical condition of other people.? You live your life. I’ll live mine. My father was an athlete all of his life. Spent all of his time on the tennis courts, at the gym. He lived to the age of 94. Died of complications due to Alzheimer’s. But because his heart and lungs were in such good shape. He spent the better part of the last 15 of years of his life in a dementia ward. Absolutely huge amounts of resources. Both family and governmental were consumed because his body didn’t know when to quit when his mind did.
Give me a quick heart attack over that any day.
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The trick then, is to somehow figure out the magic elixir/formula for determining the approximate week that your brain and body both crap out at the same time.
Good Luck.

And what if, like my father, you are unlucky enough to survive that heart attack?
He was quite literally dead on the floor of a Walgreens store. The pharmacist revived him, but he spent the next five and a half years mostly bedridden and in complete misery- His mind and wit sharp as ever.
 
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Hugh Despenser said:
The trick then, is to somehow figure out the magic elixir/formula for determining the approximate week that your brain and body both crap out at the same time.
Good Luck.

And what if, like my father, you are unlucky enough to survive that heart attack?
He was quite literally dead on the floor of a Walgreens store. The pharmacist revived him, but he spent the next five and a half years mostly bedridden and in complete misery.
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I live far enough out in the country, where I spend 95% of my time. by the time the ambulance gets here I’ll be lukewarm dead. All of my friends and family have been told to not interfere with natural order of things. Y’all can keep throwing stuff out here, (getting kind of redundant). But I just don’t care. To be clear I am not suicidal, but for me, death has no sting.
We are spiritual beings in a temporary mortal existence.
 
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Morgan3820 said:
But I just don’t care.
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I knew an alcoholic like you. He just didn't care that booze would kill him; he said he just liked drinking and being drunk. I was there when he was carried out of his house. I don't remember any tears being shed.
 
Walboy said:
The four horsemen of chronic disease according to Peter Attia:

Cardiovascular disease - mostly preventable​
Cancer - somewhat preventable (smoking, alcoholism for example)​
Neurodegenerative disease (dementia) - jury is out on this one but physical activity is shown to have benefits in this area​
Diabetes - mostly preventable​
​
There seems to be plenty of preventative measures one can take to improve the odds of relatively good health. Spend some time in a grocery store making observations of contents of normal weight people and obese people. Look who gravitates to the produce section vs frozen prepared/packaged food sections. Even brisk walks have tremendous physical and mental health benefits.

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD is a decent read if you want to educate yourself.​


Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
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Peter Attia? The same guy who eats $40 worth of jerky sticks per day? Since he invests in that company, I'd say he's more a doctor of personal finance than longevity. https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-peter-attia-diet-longevity-jerky-sticks-processed-2023-10
 
Walboy said:
I knew an alcoholic like you. He just didn't care that booze would kill him; he said he just liked drinking and being drunk. I was there when he was carried out of his house. I don't remember any tears being shed.
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So now I’m an alcoholic? You really have stepped over the line little boy. KMA.

Y’all can keep it up, but I’m done with this thread. Going to ignore mode.
 
Walboy said:
I knew an alcoholic like you. He just didn't care that booze would kill him; he said he just liked drinking and being drunk. I was there when he was carried out of his house. I don't remember any tears being shed.
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That’s a little harsh.
 
StraightnLevel said:
Much of the really bad stuff in today's processed foods is there to prevent spoilage. Of course, those additions have little or no nutritive value; if they DID have nutritive value, they would be sought out and consumed by the very microbes and bacteria that spoil real food. This again comes down to consumers stating their preference for a food product that will survive a year in a jar in the back of the pantry, rather than having to plan their meals and purchase fresh food daily.
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I don't understand this. I make beef jerky. It can stay in my pantry for a month or more. Is it less real than the meat I made it from?
 
My health and my diet are a personal issue,I do try to stay healthy and have changed my lifestyle a bit. But I’m not one to preach to other people how they live their life.
 
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