Scientists have pinpointed the lifestyle that could help you live to 100… and, good news, it’s not about going T-total or staying slim

Scientists have revealed the three most important lifestyle choices needed to live to 100 – and they don’t involve giving up alcohol or losing weight.

Health experts in China found that not smoking, exercising more and eating a varied diet are the most important factors for surviving a century.

They said education, marital status and alcohol consumption later in life made no significant difference to longevity.

Those who live in the city are just as likely to live to be 100 as those who live in the countryside.

And a higher body mass index (BMI) score later in life can actually help someone live longer, even if he or she tried to shed pounds in their younger years.

The oldest man in the world is Briton John Tinniswood, who will celebrate his 112th birthday on August 26, 2024

The oldest living person is Maria Branyas, from Spain, who is 117 years old.

The oldest man in the world is British John Tinniswood, who celebrates his 112th birthday on August 26. He previously attributed his long life to a fish meal every Friday.

Researchers from Shanghai’s Fudan University say their findings show the importance of a healthy lifestyle, even in old age – and stressed that it is never too late to improve.

Special lifestyle improvement strategies should be designed for people in later life, they added, and the benefits of healthy living should be promoted to people of all ages.

They also urged policymakers to come up with a new BMI scoring system that takes age into account so people know the benefit of being heavier later in life.

The researchers studied detailed data from 5,222 people aged 80 and older. Of these, 1,454 had reached the age of 100.

Each person was given a ‘healthy lifestyle score’ (HLS) from 0 to 10 based on their self-reported smoking, drinking and exercise habits, plus the variety of their diet and their body mass index (BMI).

A person’s BMI can be calculated by dividing their weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. It can give a rough estimate of whether someone is overweight or underweight.

The study, published in the journal Jama Network Open, found that people with higher HLS were significantly more likely to reach 100.

People who had never smoked, always exercised regularly and followed a balanced diet had the best chance.

The researchers wrote: ‘Moderate alcohol consumption was not necessarily related to adverse health outcomes and higher BMI may play a protective role in mortality risk in older populations.

‘This raises a critical question as to whether the assessment of healthy lifestyle behavior should be adapted to different age groups.

‘Specifically, for individuals in very old age, BMI may reflect potential malnutrition and other chronic conditions, rather than being an indicator of lifestyle.’