The Place

Actions

Why Do Some People Live So Much Longer Than Others?

Booming Forward: Are there secrets to a long life?
Posted at 1:25 PM, Oct 25, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-25 15:25:27-04

In the United States the life expectancy is 76 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But many people are living long beyond that benchmark.

Government number show there are more than 72,000 centenarians in the U.S., or those who've reached the age of 100.

The number of Americans 90 years and older has nearly tripled since the 1980s.

The CDC predicts life expectancy for all Americans to grow to 85.6 years by 2060.

They credit patterns in mortality, caused by more vaccinations, fewer infectious disease and alcohol and smoking prevention programs.

A study out this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows obesity and diabetes can determine how long we live.

Researchers recommend a Mediterranean diet focused on seafood and veggies and eating light when it comes to meat and sugar.

Regular exercise can slow down Father Time, and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart diseases.

German researchers analyzed a handfull of studies and determined regular exercise can add almost four years to some people's life span.

Good genes, also a factor to consider. It's estimated about a quarter of the variation in life span is dictated by genetics.

Booming Forward stories are brought to you byOptum.