Everybody wants to live longer, and for two decades the Blue Zones, places with the highest percentage of people 100+ years old, have promised to show us how with nine tidy behaviors we can all copy. According to Saul Newman, a demographer at the University of Oxford, almost none of it holds up.

Michael sits down with Newman, author of Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science, to take apart one of the most popular ideas in health and longevity. When the Japanese government actually checked, 82% of its "over-100" population turned out to be long dead, many killed in World War II and kept alive on paper to collect the pension. Greece found most of its centenarians were drawing checks from the graveyard. America's Blue Zone in Loma Linda was, by the founder's own admission, spotted from the freeway on a drive to Vegas. And the towns with the most 105-year-olds tend to be the poorest places with the worst records, because it's far easier to be a clerical error than to outlive everyone else.

Newman explains where the real errors come from, why the longevity industry keeps selling the same con sold to the first emperor of China, how bad centenarian data quietly shapes your pension and insurance rates, and what actually works if you want a longer, healthier life. (Spoiler: talk to your doctor, exercise, don't drink, don't smoke, and stop panicking about living to 105.)

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Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

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Blue Zones Debunked: The Longevity Con That's Fooled Millions

Two Percent with Michael Easter

Blue Zones Debunked: The Longevity Con That's Fooled Millions