The famous British naturalist turns 100. He revealed the secret of long life

David Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926 in London. He holds a degree in zoology from Clare College, Cambridge University, and a postgraduate degree in anthropology. Since 1952, he has been associated with the BBC television station, where he became famous primarily for the series “Zoo Quest”, the series “Life on Earth”, “On the Paths of Life” and the productions: “Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth”. He received many awards, including Emmy and BAFTA. Many species of plants and animals are also named after him. He is recognized as an outstanding biologist and nature enthusiast. On the occasion of his birthday, for several days in May, the BBC will show his most important productions.

David Attenborough turned 100

In 2016, in an interview for the daily “The Guardian” the biologist commented on his age. He admitted that it was due to sheer luck.

– I really find it hard to believe. The only conclusion you can come to is this: by God, you were just lucky. When you think that I have relatives and friends who are 90 years old and don’t even remember what day of the week it is and are unable to walk – this is not a Christian virtue, just simple happiness – he said.

Sciencealert.com pointed out that, according to some scientists, reaching the age of 90 is 30% related to genetics and 70% to… with health behaviors, i.e. nutrition and physical activity. Attenborough may be confirmation of this theory because he is constantly active, both physically and socially.

Attenborough’s life largely fits in with what research shows. He is an active older man, both socially and physically, and remains unusually busy for his age. He is also still passionate about what he does.

On the occasion of his 99th birthday, he released a documentary film “David Attenborough: The World of Oceans”and in its trailer he said: – After almost 100 years of living on this planet, I already understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but in the ocean. Throughout my life, we have witnessed ocean exploration.

At the age of 93, in the trailer for the film “Life on Our Planet”, he said: – I have had the most extraordinary life. Only now do I truly understand how extraordinary it was.

What to do to live to 100?

The portal sciencealert.com pointed out that, according to many scientific studies, people who are over 50 years old and still have strong goals in life achieve better health results. According to the multi-year American project “New England Centenarian Study”, which focuses on the study of centenarians and their families, longevity is often genetic. Upbringing patterns and personality traits are also important.

“Study suggests that children of centenarians are more likely to have a strong sense of purpose in life, which is associated with lower levels of disease, disability and cognitive impairment.” – the website reported.

Study co-author Paola Sebastiani revealed that “aging well is not only about avoiding or delaying diseases. Well-being and satisfaction with one’s life are also important”.