Factors that Affect Life Expectancy
There are many factors that affect life expectancy. It is absolutely vital to know what these are because many of these can be controlled, and a society may be able to increase the life expectancy of its members by some simple steps. Consider the following factors.
The food that is consumed
The type of food consumed plays a major part in the life expectancy of people. Those who eat healthy such as eating a balanced diet filled with healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains can often live years longer than someone who instead chooses fatty fried foods and decadent desserts. There are many vitamins and nutrients in healthy foods that have been shown to lower the incidence of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and more. Also, just lowering the salt intake of people can reduce the chances of hypertension, which also can affect life expectancy.
Another large effect of eating healthy is reducing the amount of people at an unhealthy weight. Those who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk for many of the life-threatening conditions listed above. They may be faced with health challenges far earlier than they would have if they had been at a healthy weight.
The activity level
Those who are more active may have a higher life expectancy. It is very important to get regular exercise. This can lower your blood pressure as well as your chances of many conditions such as heart disease. It can also help keep you at a healthier weight, reducing the chances of the calamities listed above. Just being active in general such as walking a lot of places can make a difference.
Lifestyles choices
There are many other decisions you make during your lifetime that can affect life expectancy. For instance, smoking is very bad for you and has taken many “before their time.” It makes one more likely to get lung cancer, blood clots and other life threatening conditions. Reducing the amount of smoking can increase life expectancy. In addition if people use illegal drugs or drink heavily then this can lower the amount of time that they will live. If people do unhealthy behaviors like texting while driving, then even this could make you more at risk. If there is an area with a high rate of crime, then even that can have an effect.
Medicine
Medical advances and access to medicine can affect life expectancy greatly. There are many conditions that the right medicine can address. Without them, lives are lost. This will sometimes play a role in lowering the life expectancy of some developing nations.
There are many factors that affect life expectancy. The above points highlight just a few of these.
Updated On: 08/19/2010 Published On: 08/19/2010 Article ViewerClose
Helium 360 – Traveler’s Guide 360
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