Los Angeles - When Bob Krause turned 90 years old last week, it was by virtue of an unwavering determination and a precision mentality that has maintained his active body after he was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a child.

Krause, a San Diego resident, was appointed by a leading center in diabetes research as the first known American who has lived 85 years with the disease, a life that has followed and benefited from the evolution in treatment.

Krause's wife, 56, along with his family and friends, prepared a celebration for his longevity on Sunday.The man will not only have a party, but will receive a medal from the Joslin center for diabetes that commemorate his 85 -year -old milestone.

"Bob has exceeded the life expectancy of a normal and healthy person who was born in 1921," said his doctor, Patricia Wu, who attributes Krause's success to his strong character."He knows that he has to deal with this and sees him as a part of his life. He doesn't let this discourage him."

That feature undoubtedly plays an important role in the way in which the man with Cano hair has closely followed the chemistry of his body and made him an expert in mathematics that save lives and have maintained his diabetes under control.

The former mechanical engineering professor at the University of Washington says he has succeeded because he treats his body as a car and because he only eats sufficient foods for that engine.

"To maintain diabetes under control, you just have to eat the food you need before performing activities," Krause said."I as to stay alive instead of eating all the time or for pleasure," he explained.

Krause was lucky to be diagnosed with diabetes not long after commercial insulin production made it widely available.It was 1926. I was five years old and lived in Detroit.

Krause's younger brother, Jackie, died of diabetes after he was diagnosed a year earlier because he hadn't insulin yet.

Krause remembers how his mother, having lost a child for diabetes, weighed every piece of food that krause ate.He had it since then under a strict diet.

When he was six years old, he was able to inject in his arms or legs with each meal.