What is the Secret to Longevity
More often than not, the oldest
people in the world don’t even know they’ve earned the title unless the
Guinness Book of Records’ people call to let them know, or a reporter
comes a-calling. Undoubtedly, they carry with them years of experience
and wisdom they can pass on to others. These are their secrets to
longevity, by the ten oldest people in the world (2015).
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10. Orma Slack (111 years, 10 months) |
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Orma was born on February 19, 1903 in
Canada, just several months before Orville Wright flew the first
airplane in history. She was 20 when the Great Depression started and 66
when humanity landed on the moon. Orma was a teacher and retired at the
age of 64, then traveled the world with her husband (who passed away in
1988). She also volunteered at the Bellville hospital until she was
104, and only stopped because she could not find a ride to the hospital.
Orma still enjoys life. Last year she went skiing.
Orma’s secret: “Ever
since I was a child, the world did not change for better or worse.
Things don’t change, so go with the flow. I’ve never done anything
special to help me get to my age, but the secret may be my positive
attitude to people and life. I don’t recall ever saying a bad thing
about a neighbor, family member or a friend”.
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9. Sakari Momoi (111 years, 11 months) |
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Sakari is the oldest living man in
the world. Born on February 5th, 1903, Sakari worked his whole life as a
teacher and later as a principal until reaching retirement. The
Guinness Book of Records is currently verifying whether Mr. Momoi is
also the oldest living man in history.
Momi’s secret: “I do
not know the secret of my long life, I simply haven’t died yet. I used
to always exercise, eat in moderation and never consumed alcohol, but
that’s just my way of life, not some great secret.”
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8. Johanna Klink (112 years) |
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Three months ago, Johanna officially
became the oldest person in Germany. She has been married three times
and has only one daughter (an uncommon thing for long-living people).
Johanna has been living in a nursing home since 2004, but she is still
healthy, both physically and mentally.
Johanna’s secret: “I
feel great, like I’m 60 years old and just retired. My secret to a long
life is a plain and light diet, and especially only using a few drops
of oil or butter in the soups I make.”
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7. Ethel Lang (114 years, 7 months) |
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Born on May 27, 1900, Ethel is the
oldest person in England and the second-oldest person in Europe. She’s
the only living Britton born during the reign of Queen Victoria. Ethel
left school at the age of 13 and went working in a shirt factory, where
she worked throughout WWI. Many of the relatives on her father’s side
enjoyed a long life.
Ethel’s secret: “I’ve
never smoked and barely touched any alcohol. I drink a lot of tea, cook
my own food, even the bread. Ever since I can remember, I was always in
motion and never gotten fat. I was always taking interest in people’s
wellbeing and loved to go out and dance. Last time I danced was when I
was 107.”
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6. Violet Brown (114 years, 10 months) |
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Violet was born on March 10th of
1900, and still remembers the days she had to get up early in the
morning and walk 3 miles barefoot to get her family water so she can get
back home by 9am to go to school. This Jamaican lady says that:
“Today’s youth don’t know how easy their lives are. They have plumbing
in every home and buses going everywhere. Sometimes I think about the
past and cry for all the hardships I had to endure”.
Violet’s secret:
“These days I enjoy reading (without glasses) and reciting poetry. My
secret to longevity is my faith in the good Lord and his commandments.
If I have a message to share, it’s ‘Honor thy father and thy mother’.
That’s probably the most important commandment.”
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5. Emma Morano-Martinuzzi (115 years, 1 month) |
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Emma is the oldest person who had
ever lived in Italy, and the last European born in the 19th-century
(November 29th, 1899). Emma was only married for 11 years, but being a
Catholic, she did not believe in divorce, so she only kicked her husband
out of the house and remained married until he died in 1978. Their son
died at six months, and Emma stayed in her marital home ever since.
Emma’s secret: “I
never touched drugs and only drank brandy that I make at home. I eat
three eggs every day and treat myself to chocolate sometimes, but
mainly, I think it’s my positive thinking about the future that kept me
alive for so long.”
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4. Susannah Mushatt Jones (115 years, 6 months) |
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The 4th oldest person in the world
and 3rd oldest person in the USA, Susannah was born on July 9th, 1988.
Her grandfather was a freed slave who became a farmer, later run by her
parents. Susannah did not want to be a farmer, so after finishing school
in 1922, she decided she wanted to be a teacher. Sadly, her parents
couldn’t afford to pay for her studies, so she moved to New York, got
married and five years later got a divorce. Since then she has been
living alone, and has been working as a nanny for $7 a week.
Susannah’s secret:
“I visit the doctor only four times a year and don’t use any medication
except for blood pressure medication. When I turned 100 I lost my
eyesight to diabetes, but I refuse to take medication or have a surgery
for it. My whole life I avoided cigarettes, alcohol, makeup and even
hair dye. I get 10 hours of sleep every night and not being married also
helps.”
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3. Jeralean Talley (115 years, 7 months) |
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Jeralean is the 3rd oldest person in
the world and the 2nd oldest person in the USA. She was born on May
23rd, 1899 and says she’s never driven a car since the first time she
tried, when she accidentally used the wrong pedal, causing the car to
reverse, which scared her. She’s not sorry about it.
Jeralean’s secret: “I
never stop moving, and even today I keep my hands busy by knitting. I
played bowling until I turned 104, but my legs have gotten weaker since
then. I sometimes go fishing with my son-in-law and grandson and even
caught seven fish last time. I only have one golden rule for life: Treat
others as you would have them treat you.”
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2. Gertrude Weaver (116 years, 6 months) |
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The oldest person in the USA and 2nd
oldest person alive today was born on the 4th of July, 1898. Gertrude
had four children, the only one still alive today is 93 years old. When
Gertrude was 104, she moved to a nursing home, and despite not having
any chronic diseases, her age is affecting her health. Despite that, she
still leaves her room and enjoys the activities in the home.
Gertrude’s secret: “My secret is faith in God, hard work, loving everyone and always do as much as you can, and if you can’t, don’t do it.”
On her 116th birthday, Gertrude
received a letter from President Barack Obama, informing her that from
that point on, that day is official “Gertrude Day” in the USA."
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1. Misao Okawa (116 years, 10 months) |
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Misao Okawa is the oldest living
person in the world, the oldest person in Asia and the only Japanese
person born in the 19th-century that is still alive. At 102, Misao was
still regularly exercising and was able to walk on her own until she was
110. These days she uses a wheelchair because she has a hard time
keeping her balance, but insists on using the chair on her own and
refuses to ask for help.
Misao’s secret: “The reasons I survived for so long are sushi and a good night’s sleep.”
So who knows, maybe we just need to
eat more sushi and sleep well every night, and we’ll all be able to walk
by the time we’re 110. Either way, the world’s oldest woman seems happy
and full of life, which seems to be the main message of most of the
people on this list, above all diets and such. So the secret to a long
and happy life is just to be kind to yourself and to others.
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