Smart decisions are the secret to longevity and which are the top 10 countries where people have longer lifespans?
The world now has more people over the age of 65 than there are children under the age of five.
When Lucille Rendon breathed her last in January this year, she was 118 years old and was the world’s oldest person on record.
French nun Lucille was popularly known as ‘Sister Andre’. He had seen both world wars. She witnessed the first man’s steps on the moon and also saw the digital age.
Her story seems unique in light of the fact that she was part of a world where the Average human lifespan is 73.4 years.
People’s lives are getting longer with each passing day. The United Nations estimates that by the middle of this century (that is, by 2050), the average human lifespan may reach 77 years.
Life expectancy of people is increasing while on the other hand birth rate is decreasing. In such a situation, the population of old people in the world is increasing.
The world now has more people aged 65 and over than there are children under the age of five. However, the situation is not the same in all Countries of the world.
While the average life expectancy in Monaco is 87 years, the average life expectancy in the Republic of Chad, a poor country in Africa, is only 53 years.
Monaco is followed by the Chinese-administered Hong Kong. Macau is third and Japan is fourth. Among the world powers, Japan has the highest average life expectancy.
According to the United Nations World Population Prospects report, the list of countries with the highest Average Age includes Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Singapore, Italy, South Korea and Spain.
Apart from pandemics and world wars, the average age of humans has been steadily increasing worldwide for over two hundred years. With the development of vaccines, antibiotics and better medicines, the average life expectancy has increased due to better sanitation, food and better living standards.
Better decisions, better results:
For more than two hundred years, the average age of human beings has been continuously increasing all over the world
Genetics is the most important cause of aging, but other factors also play a role. For example, what were the conditions of life where a person was born and what kind of decisions did he make in his life as a person?
Longevity is not only achieved by a good health system and a good diet. It is also important to make what experts call ‘smart decisions’, such as decisions about a balanced diet, adequate sleep, stress management and exercise.
Countries with the highest life expectancy have one thing in common and that is high incomes. Another thing they have in common is the size of the population in these countries.
Patrick Garland, head of the United Nations Population Estimates Department, says the list includes six such countries as Monaco and Liechtenstein.
“These countries appear to be unique, but in reality, their populations are different,” he says. In other countries, the mixture of different types of population is seen, it is not the same here.
The average age in Monaco is 87 years. It is the highest in the world
Speaking to the BBC, Patrick says, “They have a high standard of living here.” Health facilities and education facilities are good but there is no clutter here.
Large differences can be observed between different countries, and in some cases within the same country, especially where there is greater inequality, the difference in the average age of different social groups increases. “In many countries of Europe there are many people over eighty years of age,” he says. The average age is higher there.
A blessing for old age ‘Blue Zone’
Italy’s Sardinia region was the first blue zone. The blue zone is a very small part of the population. There are people who live longer than others.
A few decades ago, demographer Michael Pullen and journalist Johnny Pace set out on a mission to find out where the world’s oldest people lived and circled them on a map.
They found that an area marked in blue on the map was Barbaja. It is located on the Italian island of Sardinia. He called it the ‘Blue Zone’. Since then, the name has been associated with places where people live longer with better quality of life.
The first Blue Zone was in the Sardinia region of Italy
Based on this research, journalist Dan Boettner assembled a team of experts to investigate similar communities elsewhere.
They found that apart from Sardinia, there are four more Blue Zones. It is the island of Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, the island of Icaria in Greece and the Loma Linda Adventist community in California. There is no doubt that genetic factors are a boon for longevity.
But groups of doctors and scientists from other disciplines have tried to understand what other factors affect the blue zone. Visited different parts of the world for his information.
Six years later, in 2008, Beutner published a book titled The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived the Longest. Since then, he devoted himself to the work of advancing this idea. However, not everyone agreed with his words. People argued that many of his statements were based on observation rather than long-term scientific study.
In southern Japan, people live into their 90s
What is ‘the same’ in the Blue Zone?
Buttner and his team found some similarities in their study of communities. Based on them, he explained why the lives of people in these communities are longer and better than the rest of the world. Some of these things were:
- He had a purpose in life. That is why they wake up every morning
- They keep the family bond strong
- They do things outside of normal life to reduce stress
- They participate in other activities that have become part of social habits. For example, Loma Linda worships a tea party held for women in Okinawa
- They do not eat to full, but eat 80% of the bat’s appetite
- They take a balanced diet. Vegetables and fruits are abundant in it
- They drink limited amounts of alcohol
- They do physical exercise like jogging every day
- They have a strong sense of community. They participate in social activities and develop good habits
- They are part of a group where a belief or religion is promoted
Apart from these, a friendly environment, good health, access to healthy food and distance from big urban centers were also part of their lifestyle.
However, to be part of the Blue Zone you must be born there and be an active member of the community. But these methods can be useful for all those who want a longer and better life.
Don’t be alone
Besides economic status and chromosomal traits, there are other factors that have received less attention, experts say. These things are the purpose of life and connection with other people.
These things seem simple, but for those who want to live a good quality life for a long time, it is a big challenge.
Leggi Ferrucci, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, says healthy seniors tend to be physically active. Spend some time outside the home and have strong relationships with friends and relatives.
Experts are divided on how much genes and lifestyle influence a person’s longevity.
Some researchers are of the opinion that the role of chromosomes is 25%. Other factors that are important are where a person lives, what they eat, how much they exercise and what their support system is like in terms of friends and family.
The debate about the role of genetic factors in a long and healthy life continues in the scientific community.
The post Smart decisions are the secret to longevity and which are the top 10 countries where people have longer lifespans? first appeared on anoodpro.com.
