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100 year old doctor shares '1 habit' that can help you live longer than most people: ‘Even those who are obese can…'
100-year-old Dr. John Scharffenberg shares a surprising daily habit that can help you live longer than most people, even those with health risks or obesity.
We often hear that the secret to a long, healthy life lies in watching our weight, keeping cholesterol under control, and maintaining good blood pressure. While these factors are important, they may not be the ultimate key to longevity. Dr John Scharffenberg, a 100-year-old preventive medicine doctor and nutrition professor from California, revealed in an August 25 Instagram post by LongevityXlab the 1 daily habit he believes matters even more, and it might just save your life. (Also read: Physician shares how a 39 year old man swallowed chia seeds and nearly choked; warns ‘stop eating’ them the wrong way )
Why daily exercise so crucial for longevity
Dr John explains in his post, "We need to exercise every day. That's very important. I have outlived my two brothers, 13, and 17 years. They're already passed away. And every year that's gonna increase another year. And I'm not gonna die next year. So it's gonna keep going up."
He adds, “But exercising is extremely important. I had a lady who helped me with the PowerPoint lectures. She was a graphic artist. She did it for a living, for advertising purposes. She did a lot of work for me, but she was kind of big. I mean, big, big, big. I said to her one day, you know, I've got to talk to you about your weight.”
Can exercise outweigh the risks of obesity and other health problems
Dr John continues, "I'm a preventive medicine doctor. I must talk to you." Her face fell. "I said, 'Do you want the bad news first or the good news first?' She says, 'Tell me the bad news first.' You should understand that being overweight increases the risk of dying from almost every disease we know."
He stresses, "But now let me give you the good news. Even though you are obese, if you exercise every day, you will live longer than a woman of a normal weight who doesn't exercise. A man who smokes, has hypertension, has high blood cholesterol, but if he exercises every day, he will outlive the man who doesn't have any of those problems, who doesn't exercise."
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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