Why Do Some People Live to 100 ？

Why do some people live to be 100 ?

Because they're taking these.

Just kidding. There's no pill to make you live longer.

But scientists are trying to figure out why some people live healthy lives beyond a hundred, when the average life-span in the U.S. is only 78.

The good old-fashioned advice is: eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet with lots of fruits and veggies, get plenty of exercise, and manage stress by staying positive and keeping up relationships with friends and family.

But here's where the research gets tricky.

Plenty of people who live beyond 100 don't follow these rules.

Some of them smoke, are generally cranky, and don't eat quite as well as they should.

So, what do they have working in their favor?

The right genes.

No, not that kind of 'jeans'.

This kind.

The strongest predictor that someone will live a long time is whether that person has lots of long-lived relatives.

Scientists think these people might actually be aging more slowly on a cellular level.

As we live, our cells and DNA are getting damaged by free radicals and other forces.

Our bodies repair most of the damage, but as we age many of us can't quite keep up.

So, those who get a birthday shout-out from Willard Scott might actually be more efficient at this kind of repair.

Researchers are looking for these specific genetic traits in hopes of turning them into an anti-aging therapy.

But, what can the rest of us do in the meantime?

Eat your fruits and veggies.