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Living to be 100 – the insider’s guide.

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The fastest growing population segment is the centenarians - those aged 100 years and over. Centenarian numbers have almost doubled every decade since the 1950s and demographers estimate there will be six million worldwide by 2050. If you want to live this long you will need two things: good genes and a healthy lifestyle. Scientists suggest that genes account for about one third of our life expectancy. We can't change our genetic encoding for longevity yet, but we can certainly change our lifestyle.

The big-picture lifestyle issues are healthy eating, appropriate exercise, stress management, sensible alcohol intake and rejection of tobacco - nothing new there. Small adjustments which cost little in time and money can also boost your life expectancy. For example, taking an aspirin a day (after consultation with your doctor) can reduce your chances of cardio-vascular problems and their life-threatening implications.

Dr Thomas Perls, head of the New England Centenarian Study, identifies several other simple lifestyle choices including, believe it or not, flossing your teeth. Daily flossing inhibits gum disease with its accompanying inflammatory substances that enter the bloodstream and potentially clog arteries.

The majority of centenarians studied by Dr Perls had lived relatively independently and in good health into their 90s. Few had ever smoked and few were obese. Other research also demonstrates strong links between a low-calorie diet and longevity, so limiting calories is good for both the waistline and the lifeline.

Many in Perls' study had a lifetime history of low blood pressure and most coped well with stress. High stress levels have a highly deleterious effect on your life expectancy, so if your stress meter regularly hits the red zone, consider stress relieving strategies such as yoga, meditation and exercise.

Your location might also affect your chances of getting that telegram from the Queen. Certain regions, notably Okinawa and Sardinia, have far higher clusters of centenarians than average and many believe that the secret is sitting on their tables. The main sources of protein in Okinawa and Sardinia are fish, legumes and nuts rather than red meat and dairy. Local diets include olive oil (a monounsaturated fat highly regarded by health experts) with generous amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. Both cultures ritualise mealtimes, eating slowly and savouring their food. They each flavour their food with herbs, several of which have therapeutic benefits. It is thought, for example, that cinnamon can play a role in lowering and stabilising blood sugar, while ginger and turmeric help relieve inflammatory diseases.

The New England Medical Journal reports a link between pollution and reduced life expectancy. According to researchers, if you live in a city with high levels of fine particulate pollution, you can improve your life expectancy by as much as 15 per cent by moving to a low-pollution location.

Of course, with advances in medical technology we can defeat, or at least live with, many of the health problems which were once regarded as death sentences. Still, we must help ourselves by choosing healthy lifestyle options and taking responsibility for our own health outcomes. Simple self-monitoring regimes such as regular breast or testicle self examinations and skin inspections can help to catch problems in the early stages. Talk to your doctor about setting up regular blood pressure and semi-regular cholesterol and blood sugar tests. Early interventions have long-term payoffs.

And don't forget your brain - keep it sharp with puzzles and other activities which require active engagement. Dementia brings its own health risks.

The good news is that simply living in Australia will help you accumulate your 100 candles. Australia ranks seventh in life expectancy out of 224 countries.

For information on how you can improve your outlook with simple financial advice, please call us today.

 

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Information current as at March 2011.  This article contains general information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consider the appropriateness of the information in light of your personal circumstances.  If you decide to purchase or vary a financial product, your financial planner, our practice, AMP Financial Planning and other companies within the AMP Group will receive fees and other benefits, which will be a percentage of the premium you pay and/or the advice fee you agree with us.  Further details are available from your planner or AMP Financial Planning Pty Limited, telephone 1300 157 173.

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