Not meaning to reflect on the drift toward the pleasures of eating, but the original post of the article begins with:

Eating a third fewer calories....

It occured to me that every one of those centenarians who attributed longevity to eating sweet 'taters also tacked on "because it was the only lunch I could afford."

Much geriatric research has found that those likely to live longest were ones who were on "near-starvation" diets during large parts of their early and/or middle years. At least a couple of prominent longevity researchers are known to be on "personal research diets" that are extremely restrictive in total calories, along with some very uncommon choices of the specific foods (perhaps including lots of sweet 'taters?) in their diets. They believe that extremely low BMI is a key to their own longevity.

If they're right (it's still in study) then watching the mommas wait in line to pull up next to the schoolhouse door so their little dear sweetums won't have so far to waddle in to class offers the reassurance that the U.S. Social Security funding "problem" isn't really that much of a problem - if these kids live long enough to pay a bit in. They're unlikely to collect much in large numbers.

Very disturbing concept.

I may need two chocolate bars to calm down.

John