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Have you ever noticed how much more rapidly people aged in the past?

posted 3 years ago by whynotwriteme (7817)
26 replies | jump to latest

Here is a picture showing the actor Lee Marvin at 42 compared with the actor Tom Cruise at 59. I don't think plastic surgery and makeup and hair dye can account for this entirely.

https://i.imgur.com/uC9pfWr.jpg

I notice it even in pictures of my father, who died when he was 5 years younger than I am now. If I compare a photo of my dad the year he died to a photo of me today, you would not think we were contemporary in age. You would still assume he was my father.

[–] DoctorThirteen (15321) 3 years ago

My own dad died when he was two years younger than I am now, but I look younger. I notice it in pictures from wartime too. So often I've seen pictures of married couples from the 1940s that look to be in their early 30s, only to find they were 18 or 19. Of course, they were living through hard times.

[–] joi2049 (5632) 3 years ago

They didn't use SUN SCREEN and they also had lives where they didn't have as much leisure time to unwind and take it easy.

PLUS they also ate HIGH FAT DIETS that would clog up their arteries which will also AGE YOU pretty fast as well.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-some-people-age-faster_n_559bf681e4b05d7587e233df

>>According to a new study, it’s because some people are years older on the inside.

>>real aging is what occurs within your organs, which might translate to your appearance.

[–] whynotwriteme (7817) 3 years ago

PLUS they also ate HIGH FAT DIETS that would clog up their arteries which will also AGE YOU pretty fast as well.

However, there was no obesity epidemic back then. A truly fat person was rare and usually caused by glandular issues.

[–] joi2049 (5632) 3 years ago

When they studied the ARTERIES of young soldiers returning back from WW2 (in the 1940's), they discovered how they had CLOGGED ARTERIES in their 20's.

So whereas you may not LOOK FAT, what was happening inside of you was still a different story. And it was also due to eating HIGH FAT DIETS (lots of BACON, EGGS, BUTTERED TOAST (all COMMON BREAKFAST foods back then that are VERY HIGH in ARTERY CLOGGING CHOLESTEROL).

[–] degray9 (1126) 3 years ago

Not to mention people smoked like chimneys back then, which will also increase plaque in the arteries.

[–] whynotwriteme (7817) 3 years ago

As far as I know, smoking constricts the arteries, not add plaque to them. Plaque is from diet.

[–] degray9 (1126) 3 years ago

Smoking increases the formation of plaque in blood vessels because of toxic chemicals

[–] huwdj (4571) 3 years ago

I always notice in old films, 1930s specifically, that the 50/60 old actors look like people 20+ years older these days. I don't really understand why though we do live cleaner, more healthy and better fed lives now - well lots of us in the Western World do anyway.

[–] whynotwriteme (7817) 3 years ago

I don't really understand why though we do live cleaner, more healthy and better fed lives now - well lots of us in the Western World do anyway.

We lead much softer and sedentary lives now, though I would not necessarily say healthier and better fed.

[–] huwdj (4571) 3 years ago

I both agree and disagree. Perhaps the answer is nearer we at least have the possibility to live healthier, better fed lives - though many seem to choose not to.

[–] joi2049 (5632) 3 years ago

Black & White film also tends to AGE YOU or make you look older than when you're in COLOR.

[–] Kawada_Kira (7282) 3 years ago

Almost everybody smoked back then, smoking makes you look much older. Even if you weren't a smoker you'd get secondhand smoke everywhere.

[–] whynotwriteme (7817) 3 years ago

The funny thing is, if I had to look like either Lee Marvin or Tom Cruise in the pictures I linked, I would definitely pick Lee Marvin. Cruise looks like a slightly wrinkled teenager. Marvin has real character.

[–] 102000 (6350) 3 years ago

Andy Hardy was in high school when the series started and his parents should have been in their 40's, but they look like his grandparents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Hardy#/media/File:Love_Finds_Andy_Hardy_(1939)_1.jpg

[–] Gubbio (3893) 3 years ago

Re: Andy Hardy. Perfect example. I always noticed the same thing.

[–] NitroHangover (1143) 3 years ago

Most people, prior to the 1970's, used to chain-smoke cigarettes. From childhood till death. It was just completely normal, and not even thought of as unhealthy, at all. Doctors' first question to their patients during checkups used to be "How many packs a day?" Think about that. People used to smoke 20, 40, 60, 80 cigarettes a DAY.

[–] Keelai (36161) 3 years ago

Absolutely. All in the Family's Archie and Edith were around 48-years-old when the show started.

[–] whynotwriteme (7817) 3 years ago

Are you serious? They were only 48 then? Wow! I would have guessed 60-ish.