Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100, was admitted to hospice care in February 2023. At the time, his family believed he had only a few days left to live. Most people who enter hospice care die within six months. However, Carter lived for more than a year after his admission and passed away on December 29, 2024. Carter had a complicated family medical history. His mother lived to 85, but his father died of pancreatic cancer at 58. His brother and sister also died of pancreatic cancer, and his mother suffered from the same disease. Carter himself was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain in 2015, and he suffered multiple fractures from falls in 2019. Despite all this, he lived to be 100.

Former U.S. President Carter enjoying fly fishing. Photo by Carter Center

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◆Carter Lived to 100: A Life of Service, Love, and Connection

Carter's secret to longevity, along with his resilience during more than a year in hospice, is attributed to: participation in community activities such as the house-building movement (Habitat for Humanity) (sense of purpose); pursuit of new challenges (establishing the Carter Center); strong bonds (being married to his wife for 77 years); regular exercise (running, cycling, traveling, fishing, woodworking); extroverted personality (social activities); and faith (religious beliefs), among others.

Kim Hyungseok, an emeritus professor of philosophy at Yonsei University who is 105 years old this year (born in April 1920), advises that after the age of 60, mental health is more important than physical health, especially recommending to do what one can as long as health permits. At the Korean Healthy Aging Society symposium last October, he said, "Many people ask how long I can live, but I answer that those who work live as long as they work," adding, "From a social perspective, all great leaders who left many achievements were over 60, and usually their mental strength (mental health) sustained their lives until around 80."

◆Even Modern Medicine Can't Guarantee 100 Years for Everyone

If you follow the lifestyle of people who have lived to 100, like former President Carter or Professor Kim Hyungseok, will you also live to 100? Not necessarily. Even in the era of centenarians, only about 5 out of 100 newborns today are expected to live to 100. According to a paper published last year in Nature Aging by Professor Jay Olshansky's team at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the probability of surviving to 100 is not expected to exceed 15% for women and 5% for men.

◆Trump, a Hamburger and Golf Enthusiast, Says "No Alcohol, Smoking, Drugs, or Tattoos" After Brother's Death

Donald Trump, the 78-year-old president-elect who has repeatedly questioned the health of his slightly older rival, President Joe Biden, is known for his love of hamburgers and golf, but he does not drink or smoke. A video in which he tells his youngest son Barron, "Don't drink, smoke, use drugs, or get tattoos" is still widely shared. In 2019, Trump also told children of White House staff and reporters, "Don't drink or smoke." His 2017 inauguration luncheon was alcohol-free. This was prompted by the death of his brother, Fred Trump Jr., who struggled with alcoholism and died at the age of 42.

President Trump said in a 2016 Fox News interview, "If you don't start (drinking), no problems arise. Once you start, stopping is a very difficult issue," adding, "I might have a gene that prevents me from drinking moderately, like my late brother. That scares me." Trump also mentioned in several past autobiographies that he does not shake hands and advises not to trust doctors' words.

A study published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition analyzed the lifestyles of more than 276,000 male and female U.S. veterans. The researchers found that adopting eight healthy behaviors could extend a person's lifespan by up to 24 years. The eight behaviors are: eating a healthy diet; engaging in regular physical activity; getting enough sleep; managing stress; maintaining strong relationships; not smoking; not abusing drugs (including narcotics); and not drinking excessively. The study calculated that veterans who adhered to all eight behaviors could live to about 87 years old.

However, many experts say, "Even if you do everything right, you still may not be able to live to 100." If you want to become a centenarian, you need the help of your ancestors. This is because genetic factors become more important as you age. The New York Times published a feature article on June 8 titled "What Matters More for Longevity: Genes or Lifestyle?" According to the report, scientists believe that about 25% of how long we live is due to genetics, while 75% is due to environment and lifestyle.

But once you reach 100, that ratio starts to flip, according to Dr. Thomas Perls of Boston University. In fact, many people who have lived long lives do not have healthier habits than the average American, often enjoying alcohol, tobacco, and processed foods. Nevertheless, they live longer and have lower rates of age-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

Elderly people walking in the park in front of a private senior town. Photo by Jo Kyungjun

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◆With Effort, You Can Live to 90, But Reaching 100 Is Like Winning the Lottery

The New York Times quoted experts as saying, "Having the right set of genes for longevity is like winning the lottery. Even if your mother lived to 100, you should still practice good behaviors in case you don't hit the genetic jackpot", adding, "And whatever you do, don't take health advice from centenarians. Lifestyle probably didn't matter much to them. For the rest of us, it really does."