Emma Morano is 116 years old, and is officially the oldest woman in the world.
And, proving what women have known since the dawn of time, her survival is down to being a single woman.
Yup, Emma separated from her husband way back in 1938, and has been a single lady ever since. This, in combination with daily doses of, er, raw eggs has seen her outlive her peers born in the same year – think Al Capone, Alfred Hitchcock, and even Fred Astaire. Yikes.
Emma assumed her title after Susannah Mushatt Jones, a New York woman several months her senior, passed away last Thursday evening.
When Emma was told of her new title, she said – “My word, I’m as old as the hills!” reports her carer, Rosi Santoni.
Busting health myths left right and center, Emma is a big fan of carbs, opting for the traditional daily Italian diet of pasta and meat. This woman is seriously living the dream, people. Single AND able to eat spaghetti bolognese on the daily? Where do I sign up?!
But at 116 years old, Emma still has a few years to go to beat the official ‘longest life span’ record, which was taken out by Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997), who lived to the age of 122 years, 164 days.
Emma was born and grew up in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, and now lives in her own one bedroom house on the border of Switzerland. Even her doctor agrees that she is in surprisingly good health for someone of her age.
She is also officially the only person in the world whose life has touched three centuries, which is a pretty amazing thought.
She drinks brandy, and tries to get to bed early every night; two things that – along with being a single woman – she credits for her remarkable age.
Oh, and the eggs.
Apparently Emma was told as a teenager that raw eggs help with anemia.
Honestly, as much as I would like to be the oldest person in the world…there’s no way I would be able to get down an uncooked egg every morning. As they say – live fast, die young, avoid raw eggs.
