Dr Bollmann, Skin Care Specialist, Anti-Aging Expert
University of Southern Denmark researchers report that more than half of the babies born today in developed countries will live to be 100, and the extended lifespan will likely come with fewer disabilities and limitations.
Writing that: “If the pace of increase in life expectancy in developed countries over the past two centuries continues through the 21st century, most babies born since 2000 in France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan, and other countries with long life expectancies will celebrate their 100th birthdays,”
Since the 1950s, and particularly since the 1970s, mortality in people 80 and older has declined. Importantly, the number of life years without disability have increased, and life years with severe disability have declined.
So if we are going to live longer, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A number of studies link unhealthy behaviors to accelerated declines in thinking and memory skills. These also can readily be remedied.
Researchers from the Hopital Paul Brousse (France) studied 5,123 men and women civil service office workers in London enrolled in the Whitehall II study. Subjects were surveyed for health behaviors (smoking, dietary habits, daily activity) at 44 years of age, 56 years, and 61 years. The more each of the subjects reported engaging in unhealthy behaviors, the greater the risk of cognitive deficit, namely:
• Those subjects who currently smoked
• Study participants who ate fewer than 2 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
• Men and women who did not engage in much physical activity during midlife and late-midlife
Reporting that: “The odds of poor executive function and memory were the greater the more times the participant reported unhealthy behaviors,” this study offers compelling evidence for people to embrace healthy behaviors.
To ensure your extra years, and those of your loved ones, are enjoyed to the fullest, maintain an active, healthy, and independent lifestyle.
