Well, it massively slowed aging. Why would you just turn to dust if you started aging again? Very old people don't really age, they're so fragile that eventually something just fails.
People above a certain age (approaching a century) have death pattern statistics matching glasses in a restaurant. Which famously do not age, but do fall prey to accidents.
I think the movies make it a little confusing because they show Bilbo has significantly aged at Rivendell after he gave Frodo the ring.
Gollum on the other hand, hasn't had it for decades after he lost it to Bilbo, and yet he's still able to roam across Middle-Earth like there has been no effect of age. So people are trying to justify why the rules work different for two different characters.
In the books, all of the aging doesn't really occur until after the ring is destroyed, so it's not really a problem.
Just no
Crib and pool, spine and drool, so juicy SWEEEEEET
Well, it massively slowed aging. Why would you just turn to dust if you started aging again? Very old people don't really age, they're so fragile that eventually something just fails. People above a certain age (approaching a century) have death pattern statistics matching glasses in a restaurant. Which famously do not age, but do fall prey to accidents.
I think the movies make it a little confusing because they show Bilbo has significantly aged at Rivendell after he gave Frodo the ring. Gollum on the other hand, hasn't had it for decades after he lost it to Bilbo, and yet he's still able to roam across Middle-Earth like there has been no effect of age. So people are trying to justify why the rules work different for two different characters. In the books, all of the aging doesn't really occur until after the ring is destroyed, so it's not really a problem.
To be fair, gollum is going to look like hell either way. It's not like, Maybe he's born with it...
Wasn’t talking to you!
Well, that's not good. That is not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin?
Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold be travellers far from home.