Picky Eaters - no impact on health and longevity?

[TomBAvoider]

The diets of some of these folks are incredibly restricted and from our point of view very unhealthy, yet it seems the health of these folks is reportedly unaffected, and they have successful careers, bear children etc. Like the 57 year old successful real estate agent with two healthy teenagers, and she's ever only eaten: "bread, dry cereal, potato chips, and French fries" - that's it. I mean, you wouldn't think she'd last to see 25, and yet, here she is, without complaint at 57. Gee, this makes it seem as if all our obsessing over dietary minutia is all the more comical:
 

When picky eating becomes an affliction

[mikeccolella]

I know quite a few people, granparents, greatgranparents, aunts, uncles who lived on what we here would call crap. Pasta, white bread, bacon, eggs, corn flakes etc. who lived to be in their late 80's and several who made 90's. None of them were heavy smokers. The smokers died in their seventies or early eighties and had more bad health. my grandma lived on white stuff she made nineties but suffered from diverticulitis. My Mom is 87 never smoked, drank and is very much a food obsessed person. Eats no junk and was like this all her life. She takes no prescription medications, but has had fibro for many years. Doctor thinks a tick bite caused it. My other grandma was obese, had high BP And would not take BP PILLS and died of a stroke in her sixties, her mom who also had high BP took BP meds and lived to be in her nineties and she was not obese

[mccoy]

Probably it all comes to the question: if such bad eaters had been good eaters, how far would they have gone?

 

My father was a very crappy eater. Lots of meat and animal proteins, refined cereals, few vegetables and no fruit. Sweets as well. He's now living and 92, but had a stroke 5 years ago. Before the stroke he was very active physically. Now he can barely walk. Had he been following an healthy diet, would he now be moving around like a 50 years old? It is reasonable to believe that, with an healthy diet and lifestyle, my father might have reached the 100s in relative good health.