When Are You Going To Die?

[the eternal]

USA Today did this big spread on when the reaper's coming for YOU

CLICK HERE to FIND OUT WHEN YOU'RE GONNA DIE

If anyone asked me my life expectancy, I'd say tomorrow.

But despite my life's drama, my immediate family lives long, doesnt have heart/cancer probs, and I never go to the doctor to find out if I have high cholesterol/blood pressure.

MY CALCULATED LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 70 YEARS

[the eternal]

Here's some background info on it

How the longevity calculator works

It's not a crystal ball, but the test does link life span and lifestyle.

By Thomas Perls, M.D.

When I introduced my longevity calculator in 1999, I came up with 23 questions addressing one's personal lifestyle, family health history and preventive care measures. As more medical discoveries have been made and old ones clarified, I found additional key topics to include. I also have customized two versions of the test, one for people under 50, another tailored to 50 and above.

Here's how it works:

Everyone starts with a base "age" -- 86 for men, 89 for women, because women tend to live longer than men. With each question answered, that number increases or decreases based on the response.

Each factor is weighted differently, depending on its effect on a person's health, adding or subtracting from the final score.

We know very well that my calculator isn't a crystal ball. It makes an educated guess about longevity based on your responses. But it serves a greater purpose: to call attention to good living habits. If a person tries the calculator and scores a 72, he can find out how to improve his score. What's so encouraging is that your score can improve just by changing your behaviors. And that's ultimately the best message a person could ever hear.

Thomas Perls, M.D., created the longevity calculator used for this story. He is the author of Living to 100, Lessons in Living to Your Maximum Potential at Any Age.

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EXPERT TIPS

What helps your score?

Exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, adds 6 years.

Flossing your teeth every day can add 4.

What hurts your score?

Obesity can reduce your score by 7 years.

Stress, if not managed, can reduce your result by 5 years.

The first step: Find out what your score is.

If you are younger than 50, go online to LivingTo100.com.

If you are 50 or over, go to eons.com.

The assessment takes about 10 minutes.

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WHAT TO DO NEXT

A leading physician says trying the calculator is a great first step. He adds these tips on how to follow up. So you've tried the longevity calculator and gotten your score. Congratulations -- you've taken a positive step toward living longer! Now what?

Although the calculator provides a helpful start to self-education, it should be considered just that -- a start. USA WEEKEND recently chatted with Michael W. Smith, M.D., chief medical editor at the Internet's leading health site, WebMD.com, who explained what you need to do next:

Follow up with your doctor. "If you're planning to take some kind of significant action as a result of your score, a visit to your physician should be the next step. The strong point about these calculators is that they ID certain factors that affect not only how long you'll live, but also your health and well-being today. Seeing a physician after taking a personalized online assessment can activate the next steps -- really doing something about it, vs. just thinking about it. We see these two keys as 'getting personal' and 'getting real.' "

Develop a plan -- and stick with it. "It's so common for people to eventually 'drop out.' They may get too busy at work and begin gorging on fast food, or they may make excuses to avoid exercise. People often make priorities -- work, family and even the health of loved ones around them -- and then their own personal health goes to the bottom of their list. They need to realize that their health should be first, because it allows them to attend to all of the other priorities."

Start small. "Instead of trying a drastic overhaul, focus on making baby steps at first. You can't go from cheeseburgers every day to tofu. But you can make reasonable adjustments in your diet to make a difference for tomorrow and for the long term."

-- D.M.

[BrassFusion]

84 for me. i'm shocked, actually. hornists always die young and tragically, it seems.

cept that really super old guy that plays in the band with us.

[bean]

77 for me.

[Scary Guy]

32, and I didn't use the clock. I've just guessed that since I was 16.

[sass_in_the_pants]

88!

Woohoo!

Get used to me being around, BITCHES!!!

I'm not going anywhere!

[Steven]

that's easy.

whenever God pulls my card.

till then I'm bulletproof.