# Fitness legend Jack Lalanne dead at 96 ! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750 "2011-01-24T06:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/1 "2011-01-24T06:34:00Z")
Wow he lived to be 96! He sure kept himself in great shape. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/2 "2011-01-24T06:36:58Z")
If there was anyone I thought would live forever, it was him. RIP, Mr. LaLanne. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/3 "2011-01-24T06:44:19Z")
Thought I posted the [link](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/01/23/jack.lalanne.dies.ap/index.html?eref=si_more) Sorry ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/4 "2011-01-24T06:51:17Z")
From push-ups to pushing up daisies. RIP, Jack. I thought you’d live forever! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/5 "2011-01-24T07:17:59Z")
He was still lifting weights and other exercise until the end. Amazing how quickly he died. They said he got sick a week ago. I would have thought someone that fit could have recovered. I guess it was his time to go. > [@](#): > > LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia [http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/23/fitness-guru-jack-lalanne-dies/](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/23/fitness-guru-jack-lalanne-dies/) He certainly proved his diet methods and exercise works to lengthen life. I think he was a vegetarian. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/6 "2011-01-24T07:26:11Z")
Ok, he did have other health issues during the last couple years. Not surprising for a guy his age. > [@](#): > > On December 8, 2009, the 95-year-old LaLanne underwent heart valve surgery at a Los Angeles Hospital > **[Jack LaLanne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne)** > > Francois Henri LaLanne (/ləˈleɪn/; September 26, 1914 – January 23, 2011), the "Godfather of Fitness", was an American fitness and nutrition guru and motivational speaker. He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15 years old. He also had behavioral problems but "turned his life around" after listening to a public lecture about the benefits of good nutrition by health food pioneer Paul Bragg. During his career, he came to believe that the coun LaLanne ... He was on Larry King not too long ago. Here he is at 95. > **[StockExaminer - AI-Powered Stock Chatbot](https://examiner.com)** > > Discover Stock Examiner, the AI-powered chatbot delivering instant, interactive stock charts, real-time financials, breaking news, stock screeners, and more—all in one seamless experience. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/7 "2011-01-24T07:32:14Z")
I thought he’d make it to 100 but still 96 is impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/8 "2011-01-24T07:36:13Z")
He requested that his remains be juiced and poured into the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/9 "2011-01-24T08:07:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > He was still lifting weights and other exercise until the end. Amazing how quickly he died. They said he got sick a week ago. I would have thought someone that fit could have recovered. I guess it was his time to go. > [http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/23/fitness-guru-jack-lalanne-dies/](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/23/fitness-guru-jack-lalanne-dies/) > > He certainly proved his diet methods and exercise works to lengthen life. I think he was a vegetarian. I understand that maybe this isn’t the time to pick on this, but the fact that one active guy lived to be 96 is not proof that his diet or workout methods lengthen life. That’s basically an anecdotal argument (a “I knew a guy once who ate bacon every day and lived to be 100” sort of thing). Of course, many studies have shown that exercise and diet have an effect on lifespan; but those studies employ proper statistical design (identification of a cohort, defining the length of the prospective study, identifying control variables, etc.) My point being that there is no easy way to tease out whether it was his lifestyle, his genetics, or both, in his specific case. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/10 "2011-01-24T08:10:25Z")
> [@statsman1982](#): > > I understand that maybe this isn’t the time to pick on this, but the fact that one active guy lived to be 96 is not proof that his diet or workout methods lengthen life. His brother lived to be 97. No idea if he was a fitness afficianado or not. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/11 "2011-01-24T08:19:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > He certainly proved his diet methods and exercise works to lengthen life. I think he was a vegetarian. You would need a relatively large, random selection of people to follow the program just as religiously in order to be able to say that. With only a single test case, you can’t differentiate between healthy living and someone who would have had a long lifespan naturally. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/12 "2011-01-24T10:16:39Z")
Sorry, I didn’t mean to hijack the thread. My admiration for the man and his training methods is hard to contain. He changed the direction of my life in junior high. To celebrate the 1776 Bicentennial, he swam a mile, handcuffed, shackled and towing 13 rowboats full of people. He was in his early sixties. It got a lot of press coverage and impressed the heck out of me. They had photos of him. He was still very, very muscular even at 60. I started reading his material. Got my moms blender and made the raw veggie drinks. Joined a gym. I try my best to stay fit and eat right even today. I use a juicer to make the veggie drinks. Mom wanted her blender back. 😃 > [@statsman1982](#): > > I understand that maybe this isn’t the time to pick on this, but the fact that one active guy lived to be 96 is not proof that his diet or workout methods lengthen life. That’s basically an anecdotal argument (a “I knew a guy once who ate bacon every day and lived to be 100” sort of thing). Of course, many studies have shown that exercise and diet have an effect on lifespan; but those studies employ proper statistical design (identification of a cohort, defining the length of the prospective study, identifying control variables, etc.) > > My point being that there is no easy way to tease out whether it was his lifestyle, his genetics, or both, in his specific case. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/13 "2011-01-24T12:42:23Z")
He is survived by his wife Elaine. _Elaine LaLanne_ - a bit of a burden of a name. His earnest optimism and practical message will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/14 "2011-01-24T14:37:47Z")
I read about this on Twitter last night. One of the relevant tweets was Frank Coniff (TV’s Frank): “Jack LaLanne has died and I bet even now he can do more pushups than I can.” Very true. Push the button, Frank… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/15 "2011-01-24T14:45:49Z")
Patton Oswalt said something similar, something like “In ten years he’ll still be in better shape than me”. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/16 "2011-01-24T14:51:14Z")
I well remember the fitness show he had on air when I was a kid, black slacks and a tight-fitting black shirt on B&W TV. My cousins and I would try and keep up with him which, even as a kid, was near impossible. Also remember a number of years back when he attempted to climb the staiwell of (I think) the Empire State building… with his arms! Yes, he tried it upside down and while he didn’t make it all the way it was nevertheless an extraordinary thing to even contemplate. Thanks for your example, Mr. Lalanne. It was profound and eloquent. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/17 "2011-01-24T15:16:11Z")
The obituary in the New York Times says, “The cause was respiratory failure resulting from pneumonia, said his son Dan Doyle.” Anyone know why his son has a different last name? (Just wondering.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/18 "2011-01-24T15:31:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The obituary in the New York Times says, “The cause was respiratory failure resulting from pneumonia, said his son Dan Doyle.” Anyone know why his son has a different last name? (Just wondering.) He’s Elaine’s son, Jack’s stepson. [Jack LaLanne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne) on wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/19 "2011-01-24T15:38:43Z")
Thank you. As I said, I was wondering. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750/20 "2011-01-24T17:23:48Z")
a chair and a couple cans of soup was all the equipment you needed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-legend-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96/568750.md?page=2)