How You Can Live Long, The Hidden Facts

By Ademola Adegbamigbe

That some people live long, many do not and the reasons for these came into bold relief on Friday, 9 August, when the low, high and the mighty poured goodwill messages on Chief Akintola Williams like confetti. It was not because of his being the first African Chartered Accountant and other trail blazing achievements that have turned benchmarks for others, but that he has lived to mark his 100th birthday. PMNEWS wrote the headline in a way that carries more weight than the headline itself: “100 Years on Earth…” One could imagines the one casting the headline exclaiming under his breath, “wow!”

This presupposes that Williams and others like him who surpassed the Biblical age of three scores and 10 have achieved feats that others failed to, especially in an environment where life expectancy average has plummeted dangerously down the slope. Some of them: Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, 85 years; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, an Afenifere leader, 91; Charles Olumo alias Agbako in the Nigerian Yoruba movies, 94; Aremo Segun Osoba, 80; Lateef Jakande, 90; Sam Amuka Pemu, Vanguard Publisher, 84; Pastor E.A Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, 77; Ray Ekpu, 71 and many others.

On the other hand, if you open the pages of national dailies, you would be assailed by the photographs of forty or fifty of sixty something-year olds who have departed! So, why do some people make it to old age and others do not? Mr Ray Ekpu put it succinctly in an article he wrote last year, entitled “ Not Easy to be Old,” when he turned 70. Longevity, according to him, is determined by two factors, namely (a) genes and (b) lifestyle. He added: “According to longevity literature, our genes determine 35% of our longevity. Since we did not choose our parents and grand parents we have no control over the 35% of our life span. That had already been established by the time we were born. However, we can do a lot with the remaining 65%. We are informed that each stick of cigarette can take away seven minutes of our lives. So it is either you puff it and give away some part of your life or you ignore the “pass jot” invitation of your friends and live a little longer.”

Alcohol, as Mr Ekpu admonished, if it must be taken, must be done in moderation. “Soft drinks with high sugar content is dangerous. High sugar consumption can lead to diabetes and severe tooth problems, we are told. Doctors also advise that we reduce calorie intake, cut out red meat, go for fruits, vegetables and plenty water. Besides, regular and vigorous exercise is said to be a long life tonic. Above all these, most people accept that there are some unseen fingers in people’s lives: God. So fast, pray and give alms and you may live longer than you would have.”

He went further to attribute the state of healthcare as another factor, saying: “In some of the advanced countries there are geriatric centres which take care of old people. These centres are equipped to take care of the many ailments that afflict old people, all at the same time. Experts in various fields of medicine and well-being are on hand to attend to them. In Nigeria, there is only one known geriatric centre established at the University of Ibadan by Chief Tony Anenih a few years ago. That we have only one such facility in a huge country like Nigeria speaks to our pathetic lack of care for aged people who have given the best part of their adult lives for the betterment of their country.”

Click to read the rest here: TheNEWS