[[Anecdote is not data,]]
This is where we gotta be careful- too many times, people look at anectdotal evidfences, and make claims based on these events- but the reality is that in each case, something else might have contributed to ‘well being’ (assuming wer’e looking into anecdotal evidences of somethign like vitimins, where people ‘swear by such and such’ a vitimin as it ‘cured them of... fill in hte blank”) Chganges in their lifestyle most likely had greater impact o ntheir heralth than anyhtign else, or even a move from a city to country could have helped, or food changes or even just their bodies naturally creating antibodies to problems that helped them feel better etc.
Vitimin makers and herb makers etc are the worst offenders- making claims based on anectdotal evidences, and people waste billions of dollars every year on crap that doesn’t work- A balanced diet, one that works well for your own particular body chemistry, is probably the best advice- for some it might be more meat, less acidic foods, some need acidic foods etc, on and on-
people do outgrow asthma on their own for no apparent reason (although, again, there are probably underlying reasons that the person isn’t aware of, but they contribute their ‘cure’ to.... fil in the blank, when in reality, it was somethign compeltely different that helped them- Adrenal insufficiency could have corrected itself once the person got older, and hteir hormone levels changed- or even a pitutitary tumor could have caused an overproduction of cortisol (amazingly, one in 4 people have a pitutiary tumor, and don’t even ralize it- the great majority of tumors are benign, but do cause hormonal changes in a number of cases)
Anyways- we need to be careful about claims- As one poster said
Gave up drinking
gave up smoking
ate right
Died anyways
My personal opinion is that most of the reason for longevity vs short life span or health vs many conditions is genetic.
Of course, today, most infection is usually treatable, we have excellent trauma care, treatments for many chronic conditions, treatments for genetic defects, etc, etc. Surviving is a result of luck, genetics and our modern medical technology.
That could be why people can be manipulated over their fear of illness or death. It used to be common to know people who died from various causes at various ages. Today, it is less common. In the 50s, people over 60 looked old, acted old and were considered elderly. Now, mostly that is reserved for those nearing 80.
Another anecdote: in the 90s, a family moved to my rural area from Telluride. In a local newspaper interview, the wife stated that one of their reasons for choosing a poor, rural county was so that her children could see old people. Evidently, Telluride was populated only by vigorous folks who either were young or were kept young by modern medicine and a high income. Needless to say, the locals here were insulted.