Interesting ABC article about the so-called Blue Zones, where people allegedly live to remarkable ages, and the battle between those promoting them and a prominent Australian critic.

….The more he researched, the more he started to wonder if poor record-keeping or pension fraud could be behind many of these claims of extreme longevity, including in the Blue Zones.

“Nobody before me seemed to have any qualms about the Blue Zones. Why did nobody notice this for 20 years?” Newman says.

“There are some extraordinary, unexplained issues.”

…One case he recalls is 111-year-old Sogen Kato, Tokyo’s oldest man. In 2010, Japanese officials tried to honour him on Japan’s national Respect for the Aged Day, only to be repeatedly rebuffed by his family.

“The police were understandably sort of curious, came around, opened the door,” Newman recounts, “and found out that he’s lying in bed because he’s essentially a mummy.”

Kato had been dead for decades, mummified in his apartment, while his family was still collecting his pension…

The battle for the Blue Zones

Bubblecar said:

Interesting ABC article about the so-called Blue Zones, where people allegedly live to remarkable ages, and the battle between those promoting them and a prominent Australian critic.

….The more he researched, the more he started to wonder if poor record-keeping or pension fraud could be behind many of these claims of extreme longevity, including in the Blue Zones.

“Nobody before me seemed to have any qualms about the Blue Zones. Why did nobody notice this for 20 years?” Newman says.

“There are some extraordinary, unexplained issues.”

…One case he recalls is 111-year-old Sogen Kato, Tokyo’s oldest man. In 2010, Japanese officials tried to honour him on Japan’s national Respect for the Aged Day, only to be repeatedly rebuffed by his family.

“The police were understandably sort of curious, came around, opened the door,” Newman recounts, “and found out that he’s lying in bed because he’s essentially a mummy.”

Kato had been dead for decades, mummified in his apartment, while his family was still collecting his pension…

The battle for the Blue Zones

This parrot 🦜 is only standing because it’s nailed to the perch.

What Would Johnson Do

I think it needs more research and validation.

Sometimes certain ways of obtaining or assessing information can lead to erroneous results.

I think being sceptical is warranted.

Tau.Neutrino said:

I think it needs more research and validation.

Sometimes certain ways of obtaining or assessing information can lead to erroneous results.

I think being sceptical is warranted.

Especially as one of the original researchers has trademarked the term “Blue Zones” and set it up as a commercial company.

Bubblecar said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

I think it needs more research and validation.

Sometimes certain ways of obtaining or assessing information can lead to erroneous results.

I think being sceptical is warranted.

Especially as one of the original researchers has trademarked the term “Blue Zones” and set it up as a commercial company.

Yes.

Bubblecar said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

I think it needs more research and validation.

Sometimes certain ways of obtaining or assessing information can lead to erroneous results.

I think being sceptical is warranted.

Especially as one of the original researchers has trademarked the term “Blue Zones” and set it up as a commercial company.

totally no conflicts of interest and even if there were it would totally not invalidate the research