The Key to Longevity

By: Kate M. Serrano

It is well known that Japan has one of the better life expectancies worldwide. Scientists often explain this phenomenon by the quality and health content of food Japanese people eat: a lot of fish and vegetables and very little meat. But when two countries from Europe, namely Italy and Switzerland, are both as well ranked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as Japan, the mystery of longevity once again becomes a blur.

The OECD is an organization of 34 countries that helps promote policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. They work with governments to seek solutions to common problems and help drive social, economic and environmental change. Since 1970, countries from the OECD have extended their life expectancy by ten years. This progress can be explained by the improvement of the living conditions and the advances in medicine. While the Japanese eat rice and drink tea, Italians eat pasta and drink coffee. In this case, it seems that the quality of food is not as determinant in the longevity as we thought it was. Geographically close to Italy, Switzerland is standing at the highest place of the podium with a life expectancy of 82.8 years and is one of the richest countries in Europe. Ironically the United States – who is as rich as Switzerland – is 24 ranks down.

So what is the key to longevity? It’s not just on the quality of food intake and eating patterns, it’s just a quarter of the story. There are other factors to consider – a healthy lifestyle and time well spent for loads of happiness.