Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, world's oldest living person, dies at 117, her family says
CBSAug 17
The Facts
Maria Branyas Morera, who was born on March 4, 1907 in San Francisco, Calif., has died at the age of 117. She died peacefully in her sleep at a nursing home in the town of Olot in north-eastern Spain, where she spent the last 20 years.
She lived in other US cities, such as New Orleans, La., where her father wrote for a Spanish-language magazine, but her family moved back to Spain when she was young. She lived through the Franco regime and said she remembered the WWII Normandy invasion vividly.
The Spin
Narrative A
Stories like Morera are likely to become much more common, with a projected 3.7M 100-year-olds expected to be on the planet by 2050. For those who wish to be in that group, the advice of centenarians today is generally to be religious or spiritual, find a purpose in life, laugh a lot, and find love. Not only will this help you reach 100 and beyond, it will help you stay happy as you age.
Narrative B
While sentimental, anecdotal advice is nice to read about, there are concrete scientific answers as to why certain populations live longer than others. These areas of the world are called "blue zones," and their record-breaking populations come down to a few simple factors — particularly related to diet and exercise. This includes plant-based meals, losing weight, daily walks, and spending time with social connections.