For a long and healthy life, eat, sleep, feel and exercise the right way
- More plants, less meat in your diet; more sleep, no long naps; a positive outlook; regular exercise – follow these prescriptions to add years to your life
- Experts explain the findings of recent studies and the science behind them
Many of us are constantly looking for ways to improve our health and minimise our risk of disease, in hopes that we will live longer and feel better as we age. And, thanks to advances in modern medicine, life expectancy in developed countries has increased over the decades.
According to the latest World Bank figures, women and men in Hong Kong lead the world in average life expectancy, at 88 years and 82 years respectively.
If your parents or grandparents did not live to an old age, you might think that you’re destined for the same fate, but this isn’t true.
According to the well-known Danish Twin Study of 2,872 twins born between 1870 and 1900, about 20 per cent of life expectancy is determined by genetics, while the other almost 80 per cent is influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors.
We spoke to experts and looked at studies to find out which lifestyle factors in particular are linked to a longer life. Here are four ways that you might add years to yours.
Eat more whole plant foods, less meat
A Norwegian study found that switching from a typical Western diet to a more optimal one from the age of 20 could increase life expectancy by more than a decade for women and men.