And a good life it’s been

Featured today in Fark.com under the heading of “Hero” is a story to give Michael Jacobson nightmares, headlined “Bad habits key to man’s longevity”:

Zhang Shuqing, a centenarian in Pixian, Sichuan, has his own secret for long life – smoking every day and drinking liquor after every meal.

Zhang, whose daughter died eight years ago, turned 100 on May 7…

Zhang senior said he started smoking and drinking strong liquor when he was in his early 20s. Since then, he has smoked every day and taken a drink with every meal.

According to his grandson Xu, Zhang has consumed 15 tons of liquor and more than a ton of tobacco in his lifetime.

Zhang, who is in good health, has a huge appetite, with a standard meal comprising two chicken legs, a bowl of steamed pork fat and glutinous rice, vegetables and fruit. And he eats the lot in less than 20 minutes.

Yet, if those habits have helped Mr. Zhang live longer, are they really bad?