# What's your life expectancy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257 "2022-01-05T12:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/41 "2022-01-06T20:21:06Z")
For what it’s worth, I’m planning on retiring the day before I turn 100. I turn 100 on a Saturday and so if I want a retirement party, I need to retire on a weekday. That way, I get two parties two days in a row. Yippee! This brought the obvious (or maybe not so obvious) question from the president of the company: “How long are we going to have to keep paying you after you are dead?” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/42 "2022-01-06T20:43:26Z")
87 Anyone remember [THIS?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udk1S93KGc4). As I recall, that was a film strip we were shown in grade school. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/43 "2022-01-06T23:23:22Z")
I got 86. Then I changed my marital status to married and it gave me 94. Yeah, I know there’s a relationship, but 8 years sounds totally bogus. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/44 "2022-01-07T14:16:17Z")
If you eat two pounds of chocolate per week, smoke cigarettes for 100 years and rub olive oil into your skin, you should live to 122. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/45 "2022-01-07T14:21:40Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I got 86. Then I changed my marital status to married and it gave me 94. Yeah, I know there’s a relationship, but 8 years sounds totally bogus. They have obviously never met my ex-wife. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/46 "2022-01-07T20:12:10Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > If you eat two pounds of chocolate per week, smoke cigarettes for 100 years and rub olive oil into your skin, you should live to 122. If you do ANYTHING for 100 years, you’ll live to be very old. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/47 "2022-01-08T00:43:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I guess I’m the only one who doesn’t want to know (or even estimate). I don’t trust the site to be remotely accurate, so I’m not worried about what they come up with. They didn’t ask anything about diet. They didn’t ask anything about heart condition. I never know how to answer exercise questions which are phrased as ‘how often do you work out in a week’, because I don’t “work out” or do any formal exercise program, but get more physical activity most weeks than most people who do, both because of work and because of general lifestyle. They said I’ve got to 84, which judging by family history is a few years on the low side; but despite that family history I’ve got a genetic heart condition that may well bring my lifespan down. They didn’t ask about that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/48 "2022-01-08T02:29:20Z")
1. Hot damn. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/49 "2022-01-08T04:16:26Z")
I want to know is, what is so magical about marriage that it adds 5 or 6 years to my lifespan? Does it have to be in a religious setting or is a civil thing good enough? God forbid I should contribute to the ‘marriage industry’. Or the ‘divorce industry’ for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/50 "2022-01-08T04:23:32Z")
88, which is better than I had thought. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/51 "2022-01-08T04:32:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It says 87. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > 87 Just thought I’d mention that’s exactly the number I got. I was honest in my responses, including things like: Exercise? No. Drinking? Like a fish! I was surprised at the high number. I assume that all the alcohol I consume compensates for the lack of exercise! 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/52 "2022-01-08T16:17:23Z")
My dad probably lived 5 or 6 years longer than he would have just because mom took care of him and made sure he ate right and took his diabetic meds. She is 91 now and I can’t figure out if taking care of him helped her live longer as he has been gone for 20 years now. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/53 "2022-01-10T23:01:49Z")
Mine says 5? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/54 "2022-01-10T23:02:08Z")
Now it says…4… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/56 "2022-01-10T23:24:51Z")
Something like the old joke: Doctor: I’m afraid the disease is terminal. Patient: Terminal!? How long have I got to live, doc? Doctor: Ten Patient: Ten? Ten what? Doctor: Nine ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/58 "2022-01-11T00:56:14Z")
I don’t think anyone participating has not been skeptical about the methods or the results. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/59 "2022-01-11T01:06:50Z")
> [@HazyFantazy](#): > > Nobody except Annuity sales people think Annuities are a good idea. They only pay off if you live longer than they think you will. I agree. I’d like one of those annuity sales people to explain to me why I’m statistically better off giving them a large amount of capital and subsidizing their operations and profits compared to managing it myself. Plus, it also allows me access to capital in the event of a financial emergency. I don’t think those results are totally fudged, I think it’s more like there are some unjustifiably optimistic assumptions behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/60 "2022-01-26T07:35:15Z")
1. I’m 56 so enough time to enjoy some new cuisine. Losing 50 pounds gets me to 91. 3-4 workouts a week and bumping health to very good boosts me to 94. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/61 "2022-01-26T22:01:36Z")
89 (with 75% line at 81), so a little over 3 decades left. Biggest boost for me would be weight loss, probably. I’m currently ~250lb, but I walk 25-30 miles/week, plus a little weightlifting, so I get a _lot_ of exercise, relatively speaking. My parents are still alive at 86 and 78, and I had 3 grandparents live to 80+, with one making it to 89 and another to 92. The one who didn’t live long was a heavy smoker and died of pancreatic cancer at age 48. I’m already a decade past that age. So living until my late 80s doesn’t seem out of line. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257/62 "2022-01-26T23:07:15Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > They didn’t ask anything about diet. They didn’t ask anything about heart condition. They ask about general health. For a rough approximation, that seems good enough. I get to 80, which is about what I figured but still disappointing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-life-expectancy/957257.md?page=4)