Estimates of the genetic contribution to human lifespan are often low, around 20% or less. A reanalysis of Scandinavian twin cohorts showed that these numbers are skewed by mortality from external causes such as infections, violence and unintentional harm. After excluding such deaths, the heritability of intrinsic life expectancy rises to about 50%, similar to that of body mass index, blood pressure, or cognitive ability. Maternal diabetes is associated with increased risk of epilepsy in offspring in a Canadian cohort of more than two million children. After adjustment for socioeconomic and clinical factors, the risk of epilepsy is 30–40% higher in children of mothers with type 1 or 2 diabetes and 15% higher in those exposed to gestational diabetes, compared with children of mothers without diabetes. The article also deals with the regulation of ultra-processed foods and other topics.