A new longevity study reveals that healthy lifestyle habits add up to six years to an individual's life—even if they're adopted in middle or older age. The study, published in Age and Ageing, followed 49,021 Japanese men and women ages 40 to 80 over two decades to analyze how modifiable health habits and behaviors affected their life expectancy.
What did the research find & why does it matter?
While other studies have been conducted on lifestyle habits, health status, and life expectancy in a number of countries with national life expectancies under 85 years, researchers wanted to see if adopting healthy habits in a country with a high life expectancy would also yield an increase in lifetime gains.
In 2020, Japan's national life expectancy was 84.7, with women living an average of 87.7 years and men an average of 81.6 years. These long life spans can be attributed to a number of factors—including a low prevalence of obesity, regular physical activity, lower intake of red meat, and diets high in fish, omega-3s, and polyphenol- and micronutrient-rich plant foods.
Interestingly, this study found that even though the average life expectancy in Japan is high, individuals could further extend their lives by implementing healthy lifestyle habits. In other words? Small, consistent actions that support our health make a big difference—especially when we build upon them. READ MORE...
