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Castro's Doctor Boasts
His Client Will Live to 140
By Charlotte Sector, ABC
News.
June 1, 2006 - - Ditching the cigars but
not the army fatigues, Cuban leader Fidel
Castro leads a life that guarantees he'll
live more than a century, according to his
doctor.
"He is going to live 140 years,"
said Dr. Eugenio Selman, who heads the 120
Years Club that promotes healthy habits
for the elderly.
Despite recurring rumors of his demise,
Castro, who turns 80 in August, is not only
a stellar club member but has also shown
great resiliency as a leader, said Selman.
"El Comandante" rose to power
as Cuba's supreme leader in 1959, outlasting
eight -- and potentially nine -- American
presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson,
Nixon, Ford, Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton and
perhaps G.W. Bush).
It's in the Genes
Selman credits Castro's "good genes"
and outstanding diet and lifestyle.
"He eats moderately," he said.
"His health is strong as iron -- he
has demonstrated that his whole life."
The doctor shed no light on Castro's actual
diet or if the leader drank specially brewed
teas but emphasized that his famous patient
follows all the club's six main guidelines.
The six points cover diet, habits, environment,
health, culture and motivation.
After smoking his custom-made stogies daily
for years, Castro gave up cohibas in 1986.
He now makes a point of offering them to
his guests but never lighting up.
Selman remarked that Castro works 16 hours
a day and often outlasts young people in
meetings. In addition to his discipline,
Selman credits the leader's mental curiosity
as a perfect stimulant.
"He is a widely cultured man. He is
always reading, at every occasion,"
said Selman.
Despite Castro's graying beard and slightly
slower gait, the demands of the job don't
seem to show.
"Everybody is under stress, but he
can handle it and life has demonstrated
that he can handle it," Selman said.
Keep on Ticking
Cuba's presidential doctor started his
club to fulfill Castro's goal of raising
life expectancy on the island. Today the
average citizen on the Caribbean island
south of Florida is expected to live 77
years, the same as the average citizen in
the United States.
Aside from the warm ocean climate, Cuba's
Communist government prides itself on providing
free public health care from cradle to grave.
Selman also boasts that science and research
have allowed people to live longer.
In his opinion, science will eventually
offset obesity, drug use and other health
problems.
"Science is working against all that,
and it will advance more every day,"
Selman said. "When he dies," the
doctor said, referring to his world-famous
client, "nobody will believe it, since
they have killed him so many times already."
Rest assured, the doctor said Castro is
far from that day.
Copyright
© 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures
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