world’s oldest practicing doctor gives longevity tips

GON

GON

$150 Site Donor 2025
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
10,503
Location
White Sands, NM
Sunday morning read article from National Geographic- At 102, he’s the world’s oldest practicing doctor. These are his longevity tips.

Howard Tucker has been practicing medicine since 1947. Ahead of his 103rd birthday, the neurologist shares his thoughts on living a healthier life—and enjoying it, too.

One of many interesting questions and answers in the article:

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: You’ve said that retirement is the “enemy” of longevity. What brought you to this realization, and why do you feel strongly about it?

HOWARD TUCKER: These are not just my whims. It’s been documented that for each additional year of working, there’s a lower risk of dementia. It’s important to continue with decision-making, with social interaction. This slows down cognitive decline. It goes back to the old theory of ‘use it or lose it.’ If you don’t use your brain, you’re going to lose it.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/howard-tucker-neurologist-longevity?
 
Retire and just sit there = death, brain function loss, lists of health issues

Retire from stressful job = life, longevity, good health IF you crank up the activity and not eat at Wendy's, MD, or in the Philippines.

Note the French study was self employed people. Hmmm I would not take it too seriously

Working doesn’t make people live longer
 
Last edited:
Start with good genes. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to me.

I'm still working, and plan to do so for a few more years, or as long as my company will keep me, whichever comes first. While mowing yesterday, I was thinking about the "Tell me you're (something), without telling me" related to "retired". I can mow any day of the week I darn well please!
 
theres ALWAYS something to do IF you are phically able, a pet doggie helps! todays biggest deterrent is OVERWEIGHT aka insulin resistant + all the bad stuff that goes with it!!
 
FYI can't get to the article without signing up. No matter, nothing a random guy with good genes could say would make me want to unretire. Too busy to work a job.

@GON didn't you say once retire = expire? When you leave your current globe spanning profession do you plan on continuing a hectic transcontinental lifestyle?
 
chexxers said:
theres ALWAYS something to do IF you are phically able, a pet doggie helps! todays biggest deterrent is OVERWEIGHT aka insulin resistant + all the bad stuff that goes with it!!
Click to expand...
My puppers and I go out every morning. This morning we did about 1.5 miles. Our German Shepherd is over 8-years-old and has some hip issues (using stuff vet recommended) and his weight is low for his size. Part of the route took us past our house, so I dropped off the now-full poop bags near the house. All the GSD wanted to do was go inside, so we cut the walk shorter than planned.
 
My nuclear group has always been just a bit older than myself, and most are retired.

They've never been busier, but not busy doing for others, doing what they always wanted to do for themselves.
 
If one is healthy, working longer is fine. For unhealthy folks like me, work drove me to utter exhaustion, and doubled the time to perform tasks. At the end of my career, every day started at 7AM and ended at 11PM, never leaving the office/shop for days.

Life is so much better now that I can relax when not feeling well. Instead of forcing myself to work at a snails pace, shuffling around the hangar at 0.5mph and paying people to do tasks I can no longer do.

TLDR: Healthy people live longer.
 
Another post concerning a guy who happens to be a Doctor stating if you quit working you will die.
I retired at 55 years of age. I have been to 38 countries and all 50 states.

I retired from a sales career. I have absolutely no regrets.

So at the risk of repeating myself-"I don't know anybody who stated on their deathbed-"I wish I would have worked more".

If you retire then you will die is absolutely nonsensical and only believable by fools.
 
I have always wondered why doctors aren’t just getting sick all of the time since they are around contagious people so often. But I suppose they build up an incredible immune system and maybe that’s one of the reasons why this doctor made it to this age?
 
Patman said:
I have always wondered why doctors aren’t just getting sick all of the time since they are around contagious people so often. But I suppose they build up an incredible immune system and maybe that’s one of the reasons why this doctor made it to this age?
Click to expand...
Some teachers too

My wife was like that

Despite my symptomless covid last June I have not been sick in 5 years of retirement. Blowing a hernia doesn’t count! Haha
 
Pablo said:
Some teachers too

My wife was like that
Click to expand...

My ex wife was a teacher for 27 years and she has a weak immune system as well so she was always getting sick from the kids. My immune system is strong so I almost never caught whatever illness of the week that she had. She doesn’t get sick as often since she retired 3 years ago.
 
Patman said:
My ex wife was a teacher for 27 years and she has a weak immune system as well so she was always getting sick from the kids. My immune system is strong so I almost never caught whatever illness of the week that she had. She doesn’t get sick as often since she retired 3 years ago.
Click to expand...
My wife worked as a school shrink for about 6 or so years at one point. She never ONCE got sick the whole time. It took a while after she stopped doing that, but then she started getting colds and flu just like everybody else in the family. My theory is constant exposure to the walking snot monsters turbo charged her immune system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Interesting Take on Arafat's Illness
Replies
11
Views
1K
msparks
Back
Top Bottom