Careful number manipulation on the Healthspan Calculator shows some bizarre biases. I was trying to figure out which minimal life changes would maximize life expectancy. I'd have to move up to seven days a week of exercise from five which isn't too damn likely. But also, I'd have to start drinking more. That's right. The best alcohol choice you can make is to drink one to two drinks a day every day of the week.
This fact coupled with taking aspirin every day brings up a few questions. Why, for example, would drinking a toxin every day help you? We all know that alcohol cleans cholesterol and that heavy alcoholics die with squeaky clean arteries, but I find it hard to accept that drinking something that poisons your body daily can improve your health that much. Strangely, while googling for alcoholic statistics, I found this article that provides more evidence in favor of drinking...especially red wine that is heavy in antioxidants.
It still remains to be proven that it's actually the alcohol that does the trick of longevity since it's also known to reduce stress and to be a social activity...two other factors used in their calculation.
Taking asprin daily is also a major plus according to the survey. At least they have an explanation for this and it says that it thins the blood and allows it to flow more easily providing a variety of health benefits. One would think that this benefit would be negated by those of us who endurance train and have developed an excellent cardiovascular system (as evidenced by a low heart rate).
Empirically testing each variable would require putting people into boxes and managing their diets for a lifetime to see what works. But hell, we do it with mice and rhesus monkeys! Surely there are a few volunteers out there...