The influence of an abundant and safe food supply as well as the promotion of better public health is recognised as contributing to increased life expectancy. Those aged over 80 form the fastest growing segment of the population.

In recent years ageing has become an increasingly important issue due to significant changes in life expectancy. Even though we are living longer, there is no reason why we should not stay healthy, too. Kay-Tee Khaw, Professor of gerontology at Addenesbrook Hospital in the UK, says "simple measures can be taken to maintain good health in elderly people. These include a healthy diet and exercise." By the year 2031 in Britain there will be 34.000 people aged over 100 as compared to just 255 centenarians in 1952 and some 5200 in 1996.

If octogenarians are the fastest growing section of the population, we should be concerned with staying healthy and active longer. Not everyone will wish to run a marathon at 83, but exercise and a healthy diet could make all the difference between an active and healthy old age and spending our latter years in care.

People living in countries bordering the Mediterranean and in Japan suffer less from heart disease and cancer. "This fact seems to be connected to their diet, which differs from people living in Northern Europe. Mediterranean people have high fresh fruit and vegetable intake and eat less saturated fats," says Kay-Tee Khaw.

Health and life expectancy

Life expectancy, defined as the age to which half the population of a given age can expect to live, has been increasing for many years and is higher today than it has ever been recorded in the past. In Italy, Switzerland, Japan, the US, and the UK for example, life expectancy has increased by roughly five years over the past two decades.

Better nourishment is not the whole story to increased life expectancy; many other factors contribute to people living longer, healthier lives. These include effective detection and treatment of diseases and social changes through improved housing conditions and better hygiene. 

Another contributing factor to increased life expectancy is the decline in the incidence of two of the most prevalent diseases of our times. Heart disease, still the main cause of death in the world, has declined substantially in many countries over the last 30 years. And cancer has seen its effect on mortality over a similar period either stabilise or, as in the USA and the UK, begin to decline slightly.( US survey carried out by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the American government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the findings were recently published in the journal Cancer.)

For more information, refer to EUFIC Review # 5 "Diet, Lifestyle and Life Expectancy" which will soon be available on request.

UK Cancer Research Campaign web site: www.crc.org.uk.

POTRAVINY DNES (FOOD TODAY) 04/1998