Where in the World Do People Live the Longest?
Not everyone in the world is born with the same life expectancy; in fact there is a range of 83 years, in Andorra, and 40 years in Swaziland, Africa. Andorra is the longest living country, but longest living region is Okinawa, an island just south of Japan. In Okinawa, for every 100,000 people, almost 35 people are over 100! That is four times higher than both the U.S.A and the U.K.
So why do people in certain regions live longer than others? Many people attribute Okinawa’s longevity to its resident’s diet. They consume more soy and tofu than any other region, and they have a motto of only eating until they are 80% full, which keeps there bodies healthy and significantly reduces the chance of heart disease. As opposed to Americans, Okinawa’s residents only consume about 1,200 calories a day.
On the other side of the spectrum, countries’ whose residents never even make it “over the hill,” often are dealing with extreme conditions. For instance in Swaziland where the life expectancy is the shortest, the percentage of people who have AIDS is also the highest. Close to 50% of the population has AIDS or HIV. Also, life expectancy is correlated with GDP, and so many poorer countries have significantly smaller life expectancies.
Unfortunately you cannot simply move to Okinawa to live longer, since it is more about life-style than geographic location. If you are looking to stay young feeling and live a long life, other cultures may have the answer.
