Blog entry 9

“The Island Where People Forget to Die”

Summary:

Dan Buettner is a researcher who studies the longevity of human lives. This is a study based off is late parents earlier work. He studies isolated population of people who live much longer lives than most. On the island Ikaria (Greek) he studied a man named Stamatis Moraitis who survived a gunshot wound during war in a Greek war. He moved to the U.S. where he later learned in 1976, at the age of 60, that he had lung cancer and was only expected to live 9 months. He slowly began to get his strength back and was doing things like planting a garden and working in his family’s vineyard. Today he is 102 and is Cancer free. He stated that he had gone back to his doctors to see if they could explain how he was cancer free, but that they were dead. He is not the only one in his community with this amazing story others have similar stories and are still living happy and healthy simple lives on this island. When Buettner asked why he was told it was because of the fresh air, wine, lack of worries, and “that people forget to die.”

Analysis:

                This man survived cancer with no treatment what so ever. He simply went back home to die and to save money on funeral costs for his wife and children. And he survived cancer by working in his garden. That is amazing to me. It shows what the human body can do if given the right circumstance. Further research is needed to pinpoint why people are living longer than most, maybe there’s a key in the genes or in the food they eat, either way this story shows promise of a longer future for people. My great grandmother is still alive today and she’s 100 years old. She has no health problems and lives a very conservative life. She is active and does exercise daily, she has never used any drugs or alcohol which would abuse her body, and eats things that are healthy. Based on the correlation it is possible that there is a link between these types of activities and a longer life.

10/26/2012

11:14am