Perdasdefogu is famous for its golden oldies, says Angela Giuffrida in The Guardian. The remote Sardinian mountain village with a population of 1,740 has seen five residents turn 100 this year alone. A mural in town celebrates Perdasdefogu’s longest-surviving citizen, Consolata Melis, who died in 2015 aged 108. The village also holds the world record for “oldest family”: Consolata and her eight brothers and sisters entered the history books in 2012 with a combined age of 818.
The “living monuments” put their rude health and “remarkable lucidity” down to clean mountain air, a diet rich in fish and home-grown vegetables, and “reading, walking, and playing cards”. Giacomo Mameli, a sprightly 80-year-old, organises an annual literary festival and a plaque on the main road advises: “Reading keeps you alive.” Residents stay active by collecting firewood or working on their allotments, while Vittorio Lai, 99, still hunts wild boar.
The villagers appreciate that they have something special. A 100th birthday brings out the whole village, and the mayor gives each centenarian a medal. If there’s one thing the village needs “to ensure it always has a steady supply of, it’s birthday candles”.
Divine exfoliation
A 55-year-old nun from New Jersey has gone viral on TikTok after sharing her tips for youthful skin, says the Daily Mail. Sister Monica racked up more than 82,000 followers and 544,000 likes with her advice that beauty products are a “rip-off”, parasols should be used in the sun and a cheap oatmeal baby bodywash by Aveeno is all that’s needed to cleanse your skin. She added: “Not gonna lie. I think the absence of relationship stress helps.”
Brazilian butt lifts are far from peachy
The Brazilian butt lift is the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure on earth, says Rebecca Jennings in Vox. It’s also the most dangerous. Intended to engineer Kardashian-style curves, it involves taking fat from the patient’s tummy and transplanting into their bottom. The trouble is, “your butt contains a lot of very large blood vessels”. And if one of those vessels accidentally gets fat in it, you’re toast. In 2017, a whopping one in 3,000 people died during a butt-lift procedure.
Those who survive face hellish aftercare. Patients must wear a corset-like garment for three months as the new fat learns to connect with the old. “Sleeping must be done face down for at least six weeks, and sitting requires a special pillow.” And, to top it all off, sometimes the results only last a few months.