Is There a Secret to Long Life?

HOW long do you expect to live? Most people in the industrialized world would say, “Until I’m 70 or maybe 80.” Yet when a National Geographic writer asked that question of some of the inhabitants of the Soviet Abkhaz Republic, bordering the Black Sea, the natural answer was, “To a 100.”

What are some of the factors that contribute to longevity? Yuri Dadivanyan, Chief Geriatrician of the Armenian Ministry of Health believes the main factor is the genetic code inherited from one’s ancestors. However, he mentioned another factor: “Regular physical work is also very important. Most long-lived people continue to work as hard as they can after reaching the age of retirement even though they are not short of money.”

He also added: “In Armenia old people enjoy everybody’s respect. . . . Their life experience is very much appreciated. . . . Maybe the respect for gray hair and old age that is encouraged in everyone from childhood makes the old people retain their sense of dignity and their youthful spirit.”

One comment is outstanding in the aforementioned National Geographic article: “In none of the three communities [studied for longevity] is there any forced retirement age, and the elderly are not shelved, as occurs in most of our industrialized societies.”

The Bible speaks of a much longer life span in the future, “length of days to time indefinite, even forever.” (Psalm 21:4) That life forever on a perfect earth will soon be a reality.​—Revelation 21:1-4; Luke 21:10, 11, 25-33.

[Pictures on page 31]

Three active workers at the Watch Tower world headquarters​—ages: 80, 92, and 88