Indonesian Census "finds" 157 year old woman?

[x371322]

Anyone think there's any legitimacy to this? An Indonesian woman claims to be 157 years old, and even has a 108 year old adopted daughter! Incredible if true.


Estimates of the size and composition of Indonesia's booming population may remain just that despite an ongoing census, if the "discovery" of a 157-year-old woman is anything to go by.
Census officials have said they believe the woman's claims to have been born in 1853, when Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata debuted in Venice, the Crimean War erupted and San Francisco got its first street signs at intersections.
"There's no authentic data to prove her age but judging from her statements and the age of her adopted daughter, who's now 108 years old, it's difficult to doubt it," statistics bureau official Jhonny Sardjono said Monday.
The only person verified to have lived past 120 years of age was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122.
South Sumatran villager Turinah would be fully 35 years older than Calment when she died, according to officials. Even more incredible, she still works around the house and has smoked clove cigarettes all her life, Mr Sardjono said.
"Despite her age she still has an incredible memory, clear sight and has no hearing problems. She speaks Dutch quite fluently," he said.
Indonesia was a Dutch colony for hundreds of years until 1945.
He said Ms Turinah burnt all her identification documents to avoid being linked to an alleged communist coup in 1965.
Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country with a population of around 240 million people. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the census results will be important for future governance.
- AFP
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/07/2920850.htm

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

hmm, chances are it's not true. But if it is true, then I wonder what they did or ate or if it was something genetic that kept them alive this long.

[leftace53]

oh yea, I think I stumbled across a picture of her passport somewhere, I figured it was a sham so I shrugged it off. It might be possible i guess?

[Revy]

The only verified people alive in 2010 who were born in the the 19th century were born in the 1890s. The current longest living woman and man were both born in 1896, 43 years after this woman claims to be born. Before 2006, there were some people who were born in the 1880s, so at this rate, there will no longer be any people born in the 19th century in a few years.

I am skeptical because it wouldn't be hard for someone who wants publicity and is very old to claim this and get some attention. Plenty of people have done this before. According to her, anything that would prove her age is destroyed. Unless there is some test they can do with her DNA to determine her age. but I have never heard of such a thing.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

The only verified people alive in 2010 who were born in the the 19th century were born in the 1890s. The current longest living woman and man were both born in 1896, 43 years after this woman claims to be born. Before 2006, there were some people who were born in the 1880s, so at this rate, there will no longer be any people born in the 19th century in a few years.

I am skeptical because it wouldn't be hard for someone who wants publicity and is very old to claim this and get some attention. Plenty of people have done this before. According to her, anything that would prove her age is destroyed. Unless there is some test they can do with her DNA to determine her age. but I have never heard of such a thing.

I am no expert but once she dies there is carbon dating.

[Kléber]

I am no expert but once she dies there is carbon dating.
Won't work unless she has never taken a shower.

[AK]

Unless there is some test they can do with her DNA to determine her age. but I have never heard of such a thing.
Maybe you could measure the telomeres at the end of each DNA strand?

[Devrim]

I am skeptical because it wouldn't be hard for someone who wants publicity and is very old to claim this and get some attention. Plenty of people have done this before.

Old people do it anyway even if it is looking for family attention, not publicity. My great-grandmother died at 104 though according to her she was 106. This came from deciding it was her 100th birthday when she was only 98. Of course the exaggeration here isn't so grandiose, but it is something that old people routinely do.

Devrim

[Il Medico]

I doubt she is as old as she says, but I see no reason why it would be impossible.

[Dr Mindbender]

I doubt she is as old as she says, but I see no reason why it would be impossible.

If it is true they ought to write a book on her lifestyle habits.

[Blake's Baby]

Smoking and adopting people 49 years younger? That's not going to get most of us far, I fear.

[Knight of Cydonia]

If it is true they ought to write a book on her lifestyle habits.
just wait and see...in months, there's be some indonesian publisher / tv & radio station would exploit her "odd" life...by making some infotainment or some kind of that...

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Smoking and adopting people 49 years younger? That's not going to get most of us far, I fear.

She smokes?

[bcbm]

Ms Turinah burnt all her identification documents to avoid being linked to an alleged communist coup in 1965.

i hope when i am 112 i am involved in secretive communist plots.


She smokes?

did you read the op?

[Jolly Red Giant]

Numerous studies have been carried out to demonstrate that a human being is capable of living to in excess of 150 years. The primary reason why humans do not live to this age comes down to diet, environmental, work and stress factors. There are people living in a number of different parts of the world who have a reputation for exceeding 100 years of age - the most noted are the Hunzas of the Pakistani Himalayas (although their life span has dropped somewhat in recent years due to increased exposure to outside influences).

While the human life expectancy has increased over the past few decades, the reality is that human beings are not actually any healthier. It is more a case of taking longer to die. An individual living in the nineteenth century and reaching 50 years of age would have pretty much the same life expectancy as someone reaching 50 years of age today. The main change that has occurred is the massive drop in infant mortality. One thing that amply demonstrated it for me was seeing gravestones on islands off the Irish coast. Going back 150 years the graves were mostly for men in their early 20's who were lost at sea, then practically all the rest were people in their late 80's, 90's and over 100. Over the last 30 years this scale of longevity has all but disappeared as the islands lost their isolation from the mainland.

By the way - the longest recorded lifespan is 256 years from a man named Li Ching-Yuen born in south-western china in the late seventeenth century and was reputed to have died sometime in the 1930's. Records of his life are recorded in imperial chinese records where he spent nearly two centuries working for various emperors. His story is on wiki.

[Q]

While the human life expectancy has increased over the past few decades, the reality is that human beings are not actually any healthier. It is more a case of taking longer to die. An individual living in the nineteenth century and reaching 50 years of age would have pretty much the same life expectancy as someone reaching 50 years of age today. The main change that has occurred is the massive drop in infant mortality. One thing that amply demonstrated it for me was seeing gravestones on islands off the Irish coast. Going back 150 years the graves were mostly for men in their early 20's who were lost at sea, then practically all the rest were people in their late 80's, 90's and over 100. Over the last 30 years this scale of longevity has all but disappeared as the islands lost their isolation from the mainland.

This is an important point to emphasize as the "we're all growing older" statistic is often used in for example the retirement age discussions. Sure, starting from 0 we have grown older, but when we look at people aged 65 it hasn't changed much if at all.

Or, as the saying goes, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.


By the way - the longest recorded lifespan is 256 years from a man named Li Ching-Yuen born in south-western china in the late seventeenth century and was reputed to have died sometime in the 1930's. Records of his life are recorded in imperial chinese records where he spent nearly two centuries working for various emperors. His story is on wiki.
Wow! Is it also recorded how he was able to achieve that?

[Jolly Red Giant]

Wow! Is it also recorded how he was able to achieve that?
http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/li-ching-yuen-the-amazing-250-year-old-man/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Secrets-Of-Li,-Ching-Yuen&id=1934404

[Q]

http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/li-ching-yuen-the-amazing-250-year-old-man/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Secrets-Of-Li,-Ching-Yuen&id=1934404

From the second link:


... but at least one secret to Li's longevity is already produced right now. Yes, the raw organic superfood Tibetan Goji Berries.

It is believed that Li consumed Goji Berries everyday. Some even say that this was his main source of food. Tibetan Goji Berries as a raw organic superfood is being honored to these day because of its longevity properties in a two week festival.

Despite its longevity benefits, Tibetan Goji Berries also strengthens the immune system, increase energy and reduce fatigue, reduce the effect of free radical in the body, engender a sense of well-being and optimism and help curb appetite and over-eating.

As a raw organic superfood its nutritional profile is packed. Its loaded with nutrients and powerful antioxidants. 18 amino acids, more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach, 21 trace minerals, 500 times more vitamin C than oranges, 13% protein more than whole wheat, and loaded more with other vitamins such as Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E.
That sounds like some serious potent stuff. Where do you get this (besides China)? :p

[Q]

This is the wiki article on the berry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

[Quail]

You can get the berries dried from health food shops.
Them last bit of the second link read like an advert for them.

[RedAnarchist]

Li Ching-Yuen was probably a name passed down over a couple of generations of one family, so it may have appeared that it was one man when really it was more likely three or four.

[Revy]

Li Ching-Yuen was probably a name passed down over a couple of generations of one family, so it may have appeared that it was one man when really it was more likely three or four.

Wikipedia says he himself claimed to be 197, not 256. I'd be far more likely to believe that he lived to 197 than 256, especially since he didn't even claim to be 256.

He was an herbalist and a martial artist, so that could explain his longevity, if true.

But what I think is more possible than him being 197, is that he was a charlatan. He was in the business of selling herbs. It is possible the longevity claim was a convenient way of making money.

so how different is "eat wolfberries daily and live forever!" from "eat Acai berries and have a sexy body!"? not much I would say.;)

[praxis1966]

Wikipedia says he himself claimed to be 197, not 256. I'd be far more likely to believe that he lived to 197 than 256, especially since he didn't even claim to be 256.

He was an herbalist and a martial artist, so that could explain his longevity, if true.

But what I think is more possible than him being 197, is that he was a charlatan. He was in the business of selling herbs. It is possible the longevity claim was a convenient way of making money.

so how different is "eat wolfberries daily and live forever!" from "eat Acai berries and have a sexy body!"? not much I would say.;)

I was going to call him a snake oil salesman as well but you beat me to it. Well struck, sir, well struck.