1 of 3 Lucile Randon, Sister André, who lived to be 118, in a photo dated February 10, 2021 — Photo: Nicolas Tucat/AFP Lucile Randon, Sister André, who lived to be 118, in a photo dated February 10, 2021 — Photo: Nicolas Tucat/AFP
Lucile Randon was the oldest person alive (of whom there were definite records) when she died in January aged 118.
Known as Sister André, the French nun lived through two world wars, the arrival of mankind on the moon and the digital age.
Her case remains exceptional as the average life expectancy worldwide is 73.4 years.
However, people are living longer with each passing day, and the average life expectancy should exceed 77 years by the middle of this century, according to United Nations (UN) estimates.
As life expectancy increases, the birth rate falls, making us an aging population.
There are already more people in the world over the age of 65 than people under the age of five, although the situation varies greatly from country to country.
While life expectancy in Monaco is 87 years, in the Central African Republic of Chad it is just 53 years.
After Monaco, China’s Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions appear in the life expectancy ranking, while Japan, the longestlived country among the world powers, ranks fourth.
According to the UN’s World Population Prospects Report, the list is followed by Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Singapore, Italy, South Korea and Spain.
With the exception of times of pandemics and world wars, life expectancy has steadily increased worldwide over the past 200 years thanks to the development of vaccines and antibiotics, medicines, sanitation, food and better living conditions.
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“Smart Choices”
Although genetics is one of the most crucial factors, a longer lifespan is usually also related to the living conditions of the person’s place of birth and their individual choices.
It’s not just about access to better health care and better nutrition, but also what experts call “smart choices” about a balanced diet, adequate sleep, stress management and exercise.
The countries that are represented in the ranking with the highest life expectancy have something in common: a high income level. But something else connects them: their size.
Patrick Gerland, head of the United Nations’ division for population estimates and forecasts, warns that the list includes countries like Monaco or Liechtenstein which, due to their small size, don’t have as diverse a population as other nations.
“They look like extraordinary countries, but they’re actually a kind of artificial population. It’s not a random combination of people like in other parts of the world.”
“What they have in common is a high standard of living, access to good healthcare and education, but it’s not a random choice,” Gerland told BBC News Mundo, the BBC’s Spanishlanguage service.
Differences can be observed between countries and also within the same country.
Where there is more inequality, the difference in life expectancy between social groups increases.
2 of 3 Morro do Vidigal, located between Leblon and São Conrado in the South Zone, offers one of the most beautiful views of the wonderful city. Artists and foreigners have bought homes in the community, where tourism is gaining strength. — Photo: José Raphael Berrêdo / G1 Morro do Vidigal, located between Leblon and São Conrado in the South Zone, offers one of the most beautiful views of the wonderful city. Artists and foreigners have bought homes in the community, where tourism is gaining strength. — Photo: José Raphael Berrêdo / G1
“Many Scandinavian countries, for example, are more egalitarian societies with longer life expectancies,” he adds.
The Blue Zones or “Paradises of Longevity”
Socalled “blue zones” are very small populations where people live much longer than the rest.
A few decades ago, the demographer Michel Poulain and the gerontologist Gianni Pes devoted themselves to studying where in the world old people live.
They drew circles on a map with a blue marker in villages or towns where people lived to be 100 years old.
So they realized that one of the parts of the map colored blue was the Barbagia region on the Italian island of Sardinia, and they ended up calling it the “blue zone”.
3 of 3 Image from 2016 shows Consolata Melis who lived to be 104 years old in Perdasdefogu, Sardinia — Photo: Ettore Loi/AFP Image from 2016 shows Consolata Melis who lived to be 104 years old in Perdasdefogu, Sardinia — Photo: Ettore Loi/ AFP
Since then, the nomenclature has been associated with places where residents enjoy exceptional longevity with good living conditions.
Based on this study, journalist Dan Buettner assembled a team of specialists to look for other communities where the same phenomenon was being reproduced.
As a result, they discovered that there were four other blue zones besides Sardinia: the island of Okinawa, Japan; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; the island of Icaria in Greece; and the Loma Linda Adventist Church in California.
There is no doubt that privileged genetics are essential to live longer and maintain the most physical and mental abilities.
But the group of scientists (consisting of physicians, anthropologists, demographers, nutritionists and epidemiologists) wondered what other aspects influence the blue zones. And they traveled to different parts of the world.
A few years later, in 2008, Büttner published the book As Zonas Azuls and from then on devoted himself to the further development of this concept.
However, not everyone agrees with the author’s reasoning, as they understand that many of his statements are based on observation, and not on longterm scientific studies.
What do blue zones have in common?
Büttner and his team found some common patterns in the communities studied that could theoretically explain why these populations have longer lifespans and better quality of life than the rest of the world. Among them are:
- They have a purpose in life: an ikigai, a Japanese word used to refer to the “reasons for being,” or more specifically, the reasons we get out of bed each morning;
- Maintain family ties;
- They reduce stress by disrupting the normal rhythm of routine to make way for other activities that are part of general social habits. For example, taking a siesta (the nap after lunch) in Mediterranean societies, praying in the case of Adventists, or attending the Okinawa women’s tea ceremony;
- You eat without feeling full;
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of greens, greens, and fruit;
- consume alcohol moderately;
- They regularly practice physical activity as part of their daily activities for example, walking;
- They have a strong sense of community and participate in social circles that promote healthy behaviors.
- are part of groups that practice belief or religion;
All this in a context that includes, among other things, a friendly climate, fertile nature, affordable healthy and tasty food and community life away from big urban centers.
While being part of a blue zone requires being born in a blue zone and being an active member of that community, it’s possible that some of these recurring patterns may be useful to anyone interested in growing longer and live better.
don’t live alone
Aside from economic limitations and your genetic map, some of the key issues that experts say are getting less attention are how you relate to other people and find meaning in life.
While this may seem simple, it is one of the great challenges for anyone interested in having a better quality of life for longer.
Experts like Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging in the US, say that healthy seniors tend to be physically active, spend time outdoors, and have close relationships with friends and family.
Experts disagree on how much a person’s genetics and lifestyle affect longevity.
Some research suggests that genetics account for around 25% of longevity, with the rest being related to factors such as: For example, where you live, what you eat, how often you exercise, and your support network from friends or family.
However, the weight of the genetic lottery in living longer and healthier lives is still debated in the scientific community.