[dawn53]

In the past year I've known three men who died of sudden heart attacks, they were all under 60.

All were physically fit, with no apparent heart issues. One had been on the Atkins diet for a year or so, but other than that, their weight and their diets were "normal" and they exercised, in fact led very active lives.

On the other hand I have a great uncle who has eaten nothing but rich and high calorie foods his whole life. He's been overweight for as long as I can remember and has never exercised a day in his life. He just had his 95th birthday.

It's the story of Jim Fixx, IMHO. Control is an illusion, and when your numbers up, no matter how much exercise or what your diet (and I do believe in eating right and exercising), it's your time to go.

[Burkeman1]

Yes- My Grandfather and Great Uncle both lived into their late 80's and were born in the late 1890's. They drank hard liquor, smoked, and ate every piece of fat rare bloody meat put in front of them along with a heavily buttered backed potatoe topped with sour cream.

Meanwhile- other members of my family have dropped dead very prematurely even though they did all the "right" things.

[SamAdams76]

Using Jim Fixx as an example to demontrate that exercise and a healthy diet is futile doesn't hold with me. For every Jim Fixx, there's 99 others who live long, healthy lives as a result of healthy lifestyles (good eating, exercise). Of course, those other 99 don't make the headlines.

Most overweight people I know do not live good quality lives. Many of them are dealing with health issues such as chronic back pain, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. That was why I made the lifestyle change I did (lost 100 pounds through diet and exercise). It may not add any more years to my life but now whatever years I have will be much better. My chronic backpain is gone and so is my high blood pressure, constant fatigue and tiredness, etc.

As for this McDonald's chairman, I would be surprised if it turns out he ate at McDonalds a lot. I would suspect that most executives of McDonalds don't eat the food in those restaurants unless it is for a photo shoot or something.

[BunnySlippers]

My brother died of a heart attack at age 43. I consider myself on notice.

[Agnes Heep]

It's the story of Jim Fixx, IMHO. Control is an illusion, and when your numbers up, no matter how much exercise or what your diet (and I do believe in eating right and exercising), it's your time to go.

It isn't really a question of living versus dying, but how you're going to live between now and the time of your death. I think people are generally happier when they maintain their physical strength and immunity. To that end, exercise and a good, high-protein diet are great things.

[Fred Hayek]

Jim Fixx had a family history of severe heart disease. IIRC, his brother died of a heart attack in his thirties, along with other heart related early deaths in his family. Jim Fixx's running may have in fact added a few years to his life.

[Aquinasfan]

Control is an illusion

Yep. Keep your spiritual bags packed.

[Eva]

Most of the sudden heart attacks in younger men seem to be due to undiagnosed, congenital heart defects, like John Candy and John Ritter. My husband is probably one of the most physically fit, health conscious, 56 year old men that you have ever seen, but he had a history several strokes that doctors were unable to explain. Then someone discovered a golf ball size whole in his heart that was covered by a flap, that opened periodicly and caused clots to form. New advances in diagnostic tests enabled doctors to figure out something that had stumped other doctors for twenty years since his first stroke.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

It's the story of Jim Fixx,

It's the story of that PowerBar founder too. He ran like a dog and keeled over just like Foxx.

George Burns used to smoke 8 cigars a day and lived until 100. When your time is up, it's up.