Aging Longevity - What determines how long we live. Is any of it under our control?
Most of us want to live long lives. We want to see our own children grow up and our grand children too and maybe even our great grand children. Wouldn't that be nice?
Many of us wonder if there really is some special key to living a long life? Is our lifespan determined by the genes we were born with? Or does our lifestyle affect the length of our lives?
So many ads promise a long life if we, "Do this.", "Eat that", "Take our supplement." But what really matters?
We know that the people of Japan are the longest lived people on earth. Japanese men have a life expectancy of 83 years and Japanese women 90 years. The country with the next longest lived population is Andora, a small country between Spain and France in the Pyrenees mountains.
It is interesting that Japan is an Island nation. Andora is in the mountains. Very different places. And yet both have long lived populations
Aside: If you want to know the average life expectancy for women or for men in your country just click on this International Aging Longevity chart.
What determines how long we live?
1. Some researchers have said our life span comes with our genes. If you come from long lived genetic stock, you are likely to have a long life. If not, you are likely to die at a younger age. According t this theory, you can get a good sense of your own life span by looking how long your parents and grandparents lived.
Why? It is all in your genetic code. Although most scientists recognize that genes play a part in how long you will live, they say that genetics is only about 20% of the cause of your individual life span. Other things are more important.
1.Diet, exercise. Some scientists claim that your diet and how much exercise you get are more important than your genes.
2. Stress. Other scientists claim that the level of stress you experience through life is they key to understanding how long you will live. (You've heard it: STRESS KILLS).
3. Supplement companies point to studies of one or another supplement associated with longevity. (Of course they just happen to see those supplements.)
4. But the one factor that seems to favor a long life seems to be your attitude? Attitude? Yes, attitude.
In study after study, among the sick or the well, the one thing that seems to predict a long life is something called Dispositional Optimism.
Yes, you read that right. A dispositionally positive attitude seems to be the most common factor found among those who live the longest.
And this is true even when comparing persons with serious, life threatening illnesses. In study after study of persons with severe illness, those with what researchers call an 'optimistic outlook' outlast others in the study. And this is true also among those who are no sick....persons in good health.
Attitude is everything! You might have heard a professional coach say that to players. You may have also heard it from a teacher. But what is interesting is that it is also true when your goal is a long life. To read more about Dispostional Optimisism, what it is.....how you can acquire it, Go to Dispositional Optimisim and Longevity.
End of section: Aging longevity.
Find additional articles on this topic at: Science of longevity
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