What is the secret to longevity?
Some may credit a lengthy life to certain habits and routines, such as eating healthy and
exercising daily. Clarice Emley, a 105 year old Florida resident, says the secret to longevity is
crawling out of bed every morning (2). Emma Morano of Verbania Italy, the oldest person living
today, believes the key to living a long life is eating raw eggs daily and staying single. Emma’s
been single since the separation from her husband in 1938 (5). Although I chuckle at Morano’s
declaration that her relationship status has helped to lengthen her life to the ripe old age of 116, I
wonder what Emma and even Clarice are doing differently in comparison to the other 7.4 billion
(6) people in the world.
Data from The World Bank in 2014 shows the average life expectancy worldwide is
around 70 years of age. Of course certain factors increase or decrease the average life span in
each country. Japan has the highest average life expectancy at 83 years. The United States is near
the top of the list as well, with an average life span of 79 years (4).
Which country has the lowest life span? The average life span in Swaziland is 49. Yes, I
did mean to type Swaziland, instead of Switzerland. If you are wondering where Swaziland is
located, you are not alone. After a little research, I determined that Swaziland is a sovereign state
in Southern Africa (4).
Poverty is one of those factors previously mentioned that drives life expectancy rates
down. Some of the other reasons for low life expectancy rates in Swaziland include famine, lack
of clean water, low levels of education, disease, and the lack of health care available. Unlike
Swaziland, individuals in the U.S. have access to health care. Unfortunately, not everyone takes
advantage of preventive care. Following preventive care guidelines may increase your life span
through the early detection of life threatening diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and
heart disease. If you are not sure what preventive care is necessary for individuals in your age
group, refer to our preventive care guidelines on the homepage of the Hazel Cares website. A
CDC Prevention Checklist is also available in the Tools/Apps section located at the bottom of
every web page on the Hazel Cares website.
So, what is the secret to longevity? Can the secret be as simple as getting out of bed every
day, as Clarice proclaims? Or does Emma’s decision to eat raw eggs daily, and stay single bear
weight?
According to the New England Centenarian Study, at the Boston University Medical Center,
participants in the study (all 100 years old and over) have some characteristics in common.
Participants include both men and women with varying education (no education to college
graduates), socioeconomic status (poor to rich), religion, ethnicity, and diet patterns (vegetarian
to high saturated fat)(3). The study determined:
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Few participants are obese, and all the men are lean.
Smoking history is rare.
Centenarian’s handle stress better than the majority of people.
Participants display no significant changes in thinking abilities.
Many centenarian women have a history of bearing children after 35 or even 40.
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50% have or had exceptionally old siblings, parents, grandparents, or relatives.
Many Centenarian’s have children who seem to follow in their footsteps in the health and age
departments.
Therefore, although genetics certainly play a huge role in longevity, lifestyle, diet, mental
attitude, and spiritual disposition are all connected to longevity as well. Following the tips listed
below could help you live a long life (1). Maybe even long enough to join the centenarian club.
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Maintain an appropriate weight (to reduce the chances of health problems like heart disease)
Eat well (eat lots of fruits & vegetables, and cut back on fats & sugars)
No smoking
Women should consider waiting to bear children until almost 40
Keep your mind busy (crossword puzzles, language learning, etc.)
Maintain social connections (friends may help ward off depression)
Stay physically fit (exercise regularly to keep the body strong & prevent disease & injury)
Manage your stress
Get married (Although Emma Morano may disagree with this tip, studies prove married individuals live
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longer than the unmarried)
Volunteer (volunteering is linked to long, healthy & happy lives)
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Laugh a lot
Practice patience
Get the right amount of sleep
Take multivitamins
Get regular checkups
Floss daily (poor dental health increases risk of heart disease and stroke)
Join a spiritual community
Always be optimistic (Jeanne Calment, the woman who still holds the title of world’s oldest person, was
122 when she passed away in 1997. Calment’s long life was credited to her optimistic personality).
References
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Bokma, A. (2015). 20 tips to increase your longevity. Retrieved from
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention/20_tips_to_increase_your_longevity.php
Brenoff, A. (2016). The Word from A 105-Year Old: ‘The second 100 Years Are Better’. Retrieved from
ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-word-from-a-105-year-old-the-second-100-years-arebetter_us_56f567f6e4b0143a9b481337.
The New England Centenarian Study. (2015). Boston Medical Center. Why Study Centenarians? An Overview. Retrieved from
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/overview/
The World Bank. (2016). Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Wagner, M. (2015). Oldest European’s keys to life: Raw eggs, staying single. Retrieved from
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/oldest-european-s-keys-life-raw-eggs-staying-single-article-1.2116913.
Worldometers (n.d.) Current World Population. Retrieved from http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/.