CNN Transcript on Adventist and long life...

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Also tonight, living longer and stronger. Secrets revealed from around the world. These folks are sharp. We'll find out how they stay that way.

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MARGE JETTON, 101 YEARS OLD: Exercise. Eat wisely. Love the lord and people. And have a good attitude. As I told you, attitude is 90 percent and circumstances are 10.

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COOPER: She is 101 years old. Marge Jetton, those are her tips on living longer. We'll have more from her and others like her coming up.

But first, Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with some of the other stories we're following right now.

Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hi, again, Anderson.

In Washington tonight, Bob Woodward, getting just a little bit of attention after the famed Washington Post reporter revealed he learned of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity a month before it was publicly disclosed. The attorney for Lewis "Scooter" Libby says that Woodward's account undermines the special prosecutor's case against Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff. Around the U.S., the youth vote may be packing a little bit of a punch after all. The latest Census data reveals about 47 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 voted last year. That's up from 36 percent in 2000. Now, they tended to go for John Kerry over the president by a margin of 56 to 43 percent.

Tonight, five states in the nation's midsection still coping with the aftermath of Tuesday's tornadoes. At least 35 twisters scoured parts of Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois and left two people dead, one in Indiana and one in Kentucky.

Overseas, a restroom stop by Michael Jackson causing quite a stir in the United Arab Emirates. It seems the pop star mistakenly entered a women's restroom. He was reportedly confused by the sign which was written in Arabic. Local papers say, though, that he remained in there long enough to apply a touch of makeup. His publicist, however, says he left right away, Anderson. I'm not touching that one with a 10-foot pole.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: I think that's wise. Me neither. Thanks very much, Erica.

Coming up on 360, two convicts, one of them a murderer on the loose tonight. A nationwide manhunt under way. The question is, did budget cuts at their prison help them escape?

And unlocking the secrets to living longer, much longer, 100 years or more, and without the usual health problems. Tonight, we travel the world to learn what those who live longest are doing right and what they can teach the rest of us.

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COOPER: They are an inspiration and a mystery, one of the most fascinating slices we think of the world's population, people who live to be 100 years or older and yet remain healthy, even vigorous. They're clearly doing something right. But what exactly? Researchers are slowly beginning to unravel why this elite group is off the charts when it comes not just to aging but aging well, extraordinarily well. National Geographic devotes its cover story this month to the secrets of living longer. The issue is now on newsstands and Dan Buettner, who wrote the story, will be joining us later to answer your calls and your e-mails.

He visited three corners of the world where people live the longest to find out exactly what they're doing and what lessons they have to teach us. Tonight, we'll take you around the globe retracing Dan's path, along the way you'll meet some remarkable people. We are pretty sure they will change everything you thought you knew about what it means to be old, very old. We begin in Loma Linda, California, of all places, home to some of the heartiest people in the United States.

Here's CNN's Gary Tuchman. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, ready?

JETTON: I think so.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Marge Jetton renewed her driver's license in 2004. She was born in 1904.

JETTON: So I always drive slowly.

TUCHMAN (on camera): All right.

JETTON: Because I can get more mileage to my gas that way. Did you know that?

TUCHMAN: I do know that. They're right. You're right.

JETTON: Well, not very many men do.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Marge is now 101. Her license expires when she's 104.

(on camera): Are you a good driver?

JETTON: I think I am.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Marge also has another set of wheels, a stationary bicycle, which she uses for a daily eight-mile ride which is then followed by a regimen of weight-lifting, usually accompanied by some power-walking in her neighborhood in Loma Linda, California.

(on camera): Why do you walk so fast? You have a tough time having people keep up with you.

JETTON: Somebody rings a bell, and you have got to hurry. I've been a nurse for many years.

TUCHMAN: OK.

(voice-over): Marge was married to a doctor for 77 years. James Jetton died two-and-a-half years ago at age 96. She has two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Marge grew up in Northern California and remembers the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

JETTON: I was 2 years old. And I remember that the water was splashing out of the horse trough and wondered if they would have anything left to drink.

TUCHMAN: So how does this 101-year-old woman maintain this amazing mental and physical condition?

JETTON: In true righteousness and holiness.

TUCHMAN: Marge Jetton believes faith has much to do it. JETTON: I'm Seventh Day Adventist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What then shall we say, brothers.

TUCHMAN: The Adventists, Christians who observe the Sabbath on the Saturday, the seventh day of the week, preach good health. An Adventist is not supposed to drink, smoke, or eat many types of meat, many Adventists don't eat any meat at all, and refrain from coffee and soft drinks.

PASTOR RANDY ROBERTS, LOMA LINDA SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH: Our bodies are an important part of what it means to be children of God, we only have one while we're here.

MINNIE IVERSON WOODS, 97 YEARS OLD: Suck it up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

WOODS: Surprise breath and stay surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

TUCHMAN: Minnie Iverson Woods is also a Seventh Day Adventist.

WOODS: That was a good one.

TUCHMAN: At the age of 97, she teaches voice and piano lessons.

WOODS: You're not going to hell.

TUCHMAN: And strictly observes the teachings of her religion.

WOODS: When you are satisfied with what you're doing, you can relax and you can get a night's sleep. But if you're doing things that you shouldn't be doing, you lose sleep and you lose strength.

TUCHMAN (on camera): There are about 14 million Seventh Day Adventists in the world, and this congregation in Loma Linda is the church's largest, about 40 percent of the people who live in this city are Seventh Day Adventists.

(voice-over): And it appears they live longer than others. A National Institutes of Health study shows Seventh Day Adventists in California live five to eight years longer than other Californians. That's why Nation Geographic magazine came here for the cover story titled "The Secrets of Living Longer."

DAN BUETTNER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: That religious based sense of purpose I think gave them an enthusiasm for life, something that propelled them into their older years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May your kingdom be established in our praises.

TUCHMAN: The Loma Linda congregation is full of elderly people, so are exercise classes held in the town.

DARREL FLEISHMAN, LOMA LINDA RESIDENT: I want to beat the retirement system and the only way to beat it is to keep breathing.

JETTON: Have we had enough?

DR. ROGER HADLEY, DEAN, LOMA LINDA UNIV. SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: And when you combine one's faith, one's community, along with a good, healthy diet, and an exercise program, together, combined, can result in significant improvement of longevity.

TUCHMAN: Marge Jetton has one other quality that leads to longevity, a good sense of humor.

(on camera): Not only do you not look 101, you don't look 91, you look about 81.

JETTON: Well, keep talking.

(LAUGHTER)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Marge says it all cams back to faith and embracing every day.

(on camera): How does it make you feel that you've reached this age and are in the shape you are, such good shape?

JETTON: I marvel at it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Marge and Minnie are very inspirational women. It was very nice to do such an inspirational story. And here's a good addition to it, 101-year-old Marge does a lot of volunteer work at the hospital, at her church, and last night, a civic group in Southern California gave her the philanthropist of the year award. And I will tell you, Anderson, I would like if four decades from now I am in a position to win some type of award.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: She's remarkable. And to see working out at 101 is just incredible. And she's walking, she walks fast you were saying.

TUCHMAN: She does a lot more than most of us.

COOPER: Yes, I know. Literally I was watching her, thinking, I really have got to start going to the gym. This is really getting pathetic. I think she was lifting more weights than I can. Gary, thanks very much, great, we're going to have a lot more about other secrets in the hour ahead.

Right now, stories to keep an eye on tomorrow. They're on our radar tonight. Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, heading to Washington tomorrow. He is fighting to get more money for the city and for rebuilding the levees to protect it. We'll be following him. Tom DeLay still has powerful friends in Washington, high-powered lobbyists, they'll be throwing a fund-raiser for the congressman and former House majority leader tomorrow. We'll look at how indictments notwithstanding, the man know as "The Hammer" is still a force to be reckoned with.

Also, even the housing market cooling a bit. A corner of it is still red hot. Listen to this, conmen and women stealing your identity, buying houses with phony appraisals, and then flipping them for a cool profit. It's a little-known growth industry, and you could get stung. Those are stories tomorrow on the radar tonight.

Just ahead though, in this hour ahead, our globetrotting journey into the secrets of living longer continues, does a paradise island with the highest life expectancy in the world hold to key to extending your life? We'll take you there. And many more secrets ahead. We'll try to unlock them all.

And later, we'll answer your questions about how to live longer, smarter and healthier. You can e-mail us at cnn.com/360. Click on the "instant feedback" link or call us, talk to our experts directly at 877-648-3639, that's 877-648-3639.

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COOPER: So we're taking your calls right now, and your e-mails about living longer and any questions you may have. You can ask to Doctor Thomas Perls, professor of medicine at Boston University Medical Center, and director of the New England Centenarian Study. And here with me, in New York, Dan Buettner, he wrote the cover story in "National Geographic" this month, "The Secrets of Living Longer". It is on the newsstands right now. He is also the founder of Bluezones.com, a web site devoted to the study of longevity.

Our first caller is Lorraine in North Carolina. Lorraine, good evening. What's your question?

CALLER: Yes. I was wondering what the doctor thinks about piece of mind. I'm 86 and I think I'm doing very, very well. I'm very active in my mind and my body. And I wondered if peace of mind has a lot to do with it.

COOPER: It's a great point. What about it, Doctor.

PERLS: A lot of these people, it is not so much the amount of stress that they've had in their lives, it is that they manage it so very well. And we see that all the time among these folks. They don't dwell on these things. They don't internalize stuff that would be stressful. They seem to just be able to let go. And as Dan said, yoga is a great way to do that if it doesn't come naturally. Other things are like Ti Chi, other forms of meditation. Even knowing I need to take a deep breath now and then -- and spirituality. I think what the Seventh Day Adventists, the spirituality in their lives probably plays a role. And having that kind of peace of mind that you are talking about, it is very important.

COOPER: Well, Dan, one of the Seventh Day Adventists, we were hearing from earlier and Gary talked to in his piece, was saying about going to sleep at night sort of feeling good about what you've done throughout the day and not sort of tossing and turning. And all the people in the piece seemed very content with their lives.

BUETTNER: The Adventists, encoded in their religion is 24 hours, sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, where they take a sanctuary in time. No matter how busy, no matter how stressed out they are, they take 24 hours to focus on their religion, on their family, and then to actually take -- they prescribe to take walks in nature.

COOPER: That's cool. There are so many -- this -- I'm glad we're this, because I completely don't live this lifestyle and I really now am more motivated to do it more than ever.

We have another question from Brandy in Massachusetts. Brandy, good evening. And what's your question?

CALLER: Hi, Anderson. I love your show.

COOPER: Thanks.

CALLER: My questions concerns climate. The people being interviewed seem to be from a warmer climate. Does that have anything to do with living longer, perhaps?

COOPER: Dan, what did you find?

BUETTNER: Well, that was true of Okinawa and Sardinia, but the Seventh Day Adventists, they are all over the United States, in fact, they are all over the world. And this Adventists health study, out of Loma Linda, showed that men can live as much as 11 years longer than their American counterparts. So this is purely lifestyle and it doesn't have anything to do with climate.

COOPER: Dr. Perls, do you have anything to add on that.

PERLS: I would agree that it has actually been this whole mystique about this thing called Shangri-La and we equate these very high places in the hills of Pakistan, off the Chinese border and places like that, the Hunza (ph) region. And would agree with Dan, it is more myth than it is more lifestyle that counts. COOPER: Another question, Cathy in California, has a call. Cathy what's your question?

CALLER: Hi, Anderson. Love your show. And hi, Dan. I tried to reach you. I'm Margie Tuton's (ph) daughter in law.

BUETTNER: Oh, we love you.

CALLER: I know, well, she loves you. And anyway I was just talking to her and she said she'd call, you'd call. And one thing I wanted to add about my mother in law that is so remarkable and it is her spirit for loving and giving to everyone in her family, everyone that she meets. She never, ever has nothing to do. And I, being her daughter in law, it has been a tough act to follow. She's a remarkable person.

COOPER: Well, that really gets to attitude. I mean, that's a key thing.

BUETTNER: Yes, Marge was a poster girl for living well, for these centenarians. You know, we interviewed over 100 of them. And uniformly, you find these people are consummately likeable people. We all know seniors who you are with them for five minutes and you are looking at your watch. People like Marge are not only interesting but their interested. And they become likeable, I don't know if they're born that way, or they've made the effort. But at the end of the day, they are surrounded by a social network, they get better care. They have lower levels of stress and they stay sharper than people who are not likable.

COOPER: We got an e-mail from Linda Banks, in Boulder, Colorado. Linda wrote in, "What was learned about the role diet plays. I'm a vegetarian. I eat lots of soy, although I've been reading bad things about soy."

Dan, anything? You talk about greens and legumes.

BUETTNER: Yes, the Okinawan eat about eight times more tofu than Americans do. I think that is really kind of a complete super food in many ways. The Seventh Day Adventists found that people who eat nuts, four times a week, at least two ounces, were living as much as three years longer than people who weren't eating nuts. They don't know why. But certainly, a plant-based diet.

COOPER: Doctor Perls what about soy?

PERLS: I think Dan's earlier point about the fact that they don't eat red meat, so they're replacing that with these soy products. And it is the iron in the red meat. I think iron plays a really important role in the basic biology of aging. And perhaps there is less iron in your diet. And the main source of iron in our diet is red meat.

So, I think the other really important thing about nutrition is you would look at most of these centenarians and they're thin, especially among the men. You rarely see fat centenarians. So the other important component of the diet is that they're mostly thin.

COOPER: It is a fascinating topic. It is in the "National Geographic" on the newsstands now. Doctor Thomas Perls, thanks. And Dan Buettner, you wrote the article, thanks. It is great talking to you.

BUETTNER: Great. Thanks.

PERLS: Thank you.