Working in the health and fitness industry has sparked many interesting comments from people over the years. One conversation that I have had over and over again is about that one person everyone seems to know who has had a long life even though they lived a less than healthy lifestyle. They go on and on about how this person never exercised, ate whatever they want, smoked a pack a day, drank a bottle of whiskey every night and lived to 90 years old.

Now I am assured that the majority of these stories are exaggerations and folklore, however, let’s pretend they are true. Do you want take the chance that you are that one person out of a billion that is some kind of miracle exception the rule? I would rather not gamble with my life. We live in an advanced age of knowledge and I choose to follow the rules of science in order to live the best life I can. Making health decisions based on the exceptions to the rules we know to be true is no different than buying lotto tickets as your only plan for retirement.