Being...*?

Italy's Emma Morano turned 117 on Tuesday, November 29. Born in 1899, she is the oldest person in the world and one of just a handful to have lived through three centuries.

A key to her longevity, she tells the New York Times, is being single. After a troubled marriage, Morano kicked her husband out in 1938, a time when separation was rare and divorce illegal."I didn't want to be dominated by anyone," Morano tells the Times. She never remarried despite having "plenty of suitors."

Of course, there's more to Morano's staying power than her independence. She also credits her longevity to genetics and to an unconventional diet.

"Emma has always eaten very few vegetables, very little fruit," her doctor tells AFP.

Single, Diet, Exercise.... What not to like?