Friday, February 26, 2010

Live to 100?

Good news if you're still in elementary school: Danish researchers believe that most people born in developed countries this century will live to be 100. In fact, the researchers claim,
since the 20th century, people in developed countries are living around three decades longer than in the past. Now some believe that this figure could go even higher. If improvements in health continues, "a majority of children born since the year 2000 will celebrate their hundredth birthday," states James Vaupel, of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, in Rostock, Germany.

Tips on how to live to 100 are summarized on the graphic above (click the image to enlarge), though I have to take issue with the advice to "Have a Baby Later in Life." The writer appears to have confused correlation with causation; while it may be true that "those who have babies later in life are almost 15% less likely to die during any age after 50 than those who had babies before age 40," this is likely due to the fact that women who choose to have children later in life are disproportionately wealthier and more educated -- and therefore more likely to be able to afford and enjoy the benefits of healthier lifestyles and better healthcare. There's no evidence to support the "surprising tip" that waiting to have a kid until after age 40 directly causes you to live longer.

(Source: Executive Healthcare)