Family Mortality

It's hard to focus on the big picture when you're caught up in the day to day struggle. It's hard to remember what's important.

We don't know yet what determines how long you'll live. Many say that genetics are a big factor and you'll live as long as your parents, roughly speaking. The final determination there isn't in yet. Without some genetic defect that is the actual cause of death, it seems more likely that lifestyle choices will have more to do with your mortality than family limitations. Diet and exercise and the amount of stress you undergo will determine a great deal of your health. If you avoid tobacco, alcohol, and accidents, you're tackled most of the top causes of death. So, fortunately, we have control of our lives.

Unfortunately, we don't take control.

Tobacco, alcohol, stress, and diet/lack of exercise. There's my family history in a nutshell. Cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and diabetes are the fates that result. I had my youthful indiscretions with tobacco and alcohol, so if I can stay in shape and eat right and manage stress, I should live a long time, right? Then why do I only do these things periodically? Do I want to die young? How can you so often behave in ways that you know are detrimental to your health? When it comes to diet and exercise, I think sometimes the answer is that it's easier. Bad diet and no exercise are the default condition, you have to go out of your way to do better. Tobacco and alcohol are easier to avoid when you consider that you just have to stop the behavior. You had to go out of the way to develop the vice in the first place. The problem is that those 2 can be highly addictive, and once you've tasted the kool-aid, you're hooked.

I think you have to love yourself enough to do what's right. You have to love life enough to put some effort into it.