Credits: Social Media
100-year-old doctor’s 3 tips to ‘stay healthy’, from managing weight to not smoking
The global life expectancy is higher than ever at�just over 70 years, but there is still more we can do to ensure we all live longer, happier and healthier.
A 100-year-old doctor has shared his top tips that everyone should follow to ‘stay healthy’ – and they are all things we can start doing today.
100-year-old doctor’s 3 tips to ‘stay healthy’
Dr. Howard Tucker is an American neurologist from Cleveland, Ohio who has been practising medicine since 1947.
Speaking on his TikTok account in 2023, Tucker said there are three things everyone should do to ensure they remain healthy.
1. Control your weight
The doctor’s first tip is to always keep to a healthy weight, ensuring you are not overweight or underweight. Your ideal weight will depend on your height, age and gender.
As explained by the NHS, obesity is one of the main risk factors for many serious diseases including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer including breast and bowel, and stroke.
Being underweight could mean you are missing out on essential vitamins and minerals, leading to many health problems too, such as as a weak immune system and bone fractures.
Controlling your weight reduces your risk of these health conditions, ensuring you live a long and happy life.
2. Don’t smoke
The next thing you must do to remain healthy is never smoke, which harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many problems including cancer, lung disease and heart disease, MedlinePlus reveals.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, and is responsibly for 1 in 5 deaths in the United States.
Six cardiologists were asked what they would ‘never do’ and they all said smoking, with one of them calling it the “worst thing you can possibly do for yourself”.
15 years after quitting smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease drops close to that of someone who does not smoke, the CDC reveals. After 20 years, risk of mouth, throat and pancreatic cancer also drop close to that of non-smokers.
3. Do more exercise
The third thing that’s really important is physical exercise. Tucker said that cars and scooters have made people lazy and most people no longer exercise as much as they should.
Regular exercise can reduce your risk of many major illnesses including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer, while also lowering your risk of early death by up to 30%, the NHS explains.
Adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. One woman says dancing is her secret to looking so great at 84.
You should also do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days per week, such as weightlifting, yoga or carrying heavy shopping.
World’s leading cause of death
The world’s leading cause of death is heart disease, responsible for a huge 13% of the world’s total deaths, according to the latest WHO figures from 2021. Controlling your weight, not smoking and doing more exercise all decrease your risk of heart disease.
Covid-19 came in next, followed by stroke in third which is also linked to heart disease. Fourth is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a common lung disease caused by smoking where the lungs get damaged or clogged with phlegm.
Lower respiratory infections and trachea, bronchus and lung cancers were also in the top 10, two more lung and throat conditions which are mostly caused by smoking.
You only have one body, so look after it.
Dr. Howard Tucker gained his medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine. At 102, he is recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest doctor who is still practising.
