Virtual age 37, actual age 42. Well that can't be right, I'm a smoker!
There are a few problems with this test. I agree that happiness, stress management, wearing seat belts, and all that are important.
But, I think there are too many opinions and assumptions that the author makes that invalidates the test. Blood cholesterol levels are meaningless when it comes to lifespan. According to the test, higher cholesterol equates to a shorter lifespan and lower cholesterol levels equals a longer one. But the cholesterol hypothesis has failed. People with cholesterol levels lower that 160 have a lower life expectancy, not a higher one. People with lower cholesterol levels are more likely to die from cancer, suicide, and/or violence. Triglyceride levels have emerged as a much more accurate predictor of CVD than cholesterol levels, and it isn't mentioned at all in this test.
And, recent research suggests that getting a regular medical exam does not prolong life and may have the potential to cause harm.
And diet? Hummm. You'll get the test results you want if you say you eat a low fat, no refined food diet. The "no refined foods" is correct, but the "low fat" part is not.The Swiss eat an enormous amount of fat (butter, cream, milk, cheese, fatty meats) and have the second longest lifespan in the world. They will be number one if the Okinawans (#1) continue their Western trend. Young Okinawans are expected to have a lower life span than their parents because of the influx of Western foods (think McDonald's & the like).
Sorry for the rant. I'm a skeptic.
