Why Does It Seem Like the Worst Eaters Live Forever?

Is the key to living a long life drinking beer and eating fried food? (Getty Images)

Helen Diekman, the 100-year-old woman from Illinois who passed away last week, had joked that eating hot dogs from Portillo’s was her secret to longevity. Three times a week, the hospital volunteer (who was considered a regular customer) ordered the same meal—a hot dog with everything (minus the hot peppers) fries and a Diet Coke, as reported by the Daily Herald.

But Helen hasn’t been the only one to celebrate her 100th birthday who confessed to an unorthodox way of eating. Jeralean Talley, who passed away in July 2015 at the age of 116, admitted to loving chicken nuggets from McDonald’s, chili from Wendy’s, honey buns, and potato salad—and staying up until midnight.

Then there’s Agnes Fenton, the 110-year-old from New Jersey, who enjoyed three beers and a shot of scotch every day for almost 70 years, according to The Record. And of course Susannah Mushatt Jones, the world’s oldest living person, who eats meat regularly, as well as “bacon all day long,” as reported by Page Six.

“Well, it’s not just about what you eat, it’s also about your genes,” Nieca Goldberg, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and medical director at NYU’s Langone’s Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health, tells Yahoo Health. “These women have already showed us that they have some kind of longevity gene.”

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Aside from genetics and diet, Dr. Goldberg states there are a few other vital factors that may contribute to hitting a triple digit age. “Living a happy life, being a positive thinker as opposed to a negative thinker and being physically active, which has been documented by medical research.”

In fact, she adds that her husband’s grandmother lived to 103, “and she spent her life being really active.”

It’s possible these record-setting women who have followed some questionable eating habits simply incorporated one guilty pleasure as a dietary staple (which may fall under the “living a happy life” category). Dr. Goldberg concludes that while these ladies have proved “you don’t have to be perfect,” she’s assuming they have practiced a combination of healthy-living strategies.

And she’s correct. For example, Helen told The Herald, “I go to bed early, and I eat good. Of course I go to church. And I have a lot of friends.” And Jeralean never smoked or drank alcohol, considered herself a person of faith, avoided butter and also consumed lots of fish, fruits and vegetables. She also bowled until she turned 104 and mowed her lawn until a few years before her death.

“After all, not everyone can go about their life drinking a lot or eating hot dogs or doing both,” she laughs. “But it’s fun to read about it because we all wish we had inherited those genes!”

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