Do you ever wanted to know how long will you live? There are so much wonderful things in this world for us to enjoy. Nearly everyone wants to live longer, if they were to choose. Looking back to the past, our ancestors lived relatively shorter lives -- with only a few people living beyond the age of 40. However, since a century ago, human’s life span has increased greatly. The mortality rates among those over 80 years have decreased by about 1.5% per year since 1960s (Vaupel, 2010). At the same time, the maximum life span, the largest number of years a mankind has lived, is expected to be increased over years. The truth is, living longer is not a pipe dream anymore. Nevertheless, a long healthy life is not a coincidence. The lengthening of mankind’s life expectancy could be brought about by a host of reasons and there are several far-reaching consequences. First and foremost, the drawback of living longer is the increase in the expenditure in getting a better nutrition. The increased amount spent for health care has burdened the elderly. People who live longer have higher potential in developing health problems that older adults would face. The situation turns even worse when they have to shoulder healthcare costs coupled with the increasing living costs. On the other hand, one of the chief causes of the increased life span is a better food intake. People nowadays are more concerned about their health. There’re a variety of foods which can boost our body systems and maintain their functions. Having a better nutrition promotes a good physical health which would in turn longer one’s life span. It can prevent or delay the onset of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, Al... ... middle of paper ... ...healthy years to your life, The Sun, 8 August pg29. Professor Haakon Meyer, 2009. Non-Smokers Live Longer And Have Healthier Hearts, 30-Year Study [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 September 2011] EMIS, 2011. Smoking – The Facts [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 September 2011] Associated Newspapers Ltd, 2011. Exercise plan: Just 15 minutes of exercise a day 'increases your life expectancy by THREE YEARS' [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 September 2011] Jack Challem, 2009. Turn Back the Clock! [online] Available at: < http://www.betternutrition.com/anti-aging-supplements/columns/askthenaturopath/778> [Accessed 17 September 2011]
...of exercise. These factors all contribute to the young life expectancy of about 49 years (World Health Organization, 2001).
Eating nutrients and healthy foods determines health and are essentials for living a better life. Based off of past knowledge
-- Contrary to some clinical studies, there is inconclusive scientific evidence to support the theory of increasing a person’s lifespan
Many issues, both genetic and environmental, affect how we age. A 2014 Census Bureau report, “65+ in the United States: 2010,” present some statistics regarding people over 65 years old in the United States. Laura Skarnulis publishes her study titled “7 Health Challenges Of Aging” where she explains seven of the most common heath issues senior citizens face. Obesity, arthritis, osteoporosis and cancer are among the most common challenges senior citizens have to face. Skarnulis mentions that we should take care of ourselves while we are young. Some of these health issues can be prevented if the respective precautions are taken on
Nutrition plays a significant role in the human lifecycle because it provides energy, helps prevent diseases and promotes growth. The first documented evidence associating dietary restriction and aging came in 1935 in a study conducted by McCay et al that found that reducing the amount of calories consumed by 20% without causing malnourishment increased the lifespan and resistance to age related diseases in a rodent model (Colman et al., 2009; Sinclair, 2005). Typically a reduction of 10-40% of calorie intake is suggested by several authors as being effective in lengthening life, although a recent study using 30% dietary restriction was found to be ineffective in doing so in rhesus monkeys (Mattison et al., 2012).
Life expectancy in many parts of the world has increased since 1800 (Life Expectancy by Age, n.d). To understand these changes we can study the demographic transition, the changes in birth and death rates over extended periods of time. The industrial revolution has significantly improved the conditions of humans and in 20th century death rates declined but the birth rates remained unchanged. In many of today’s developed countries both rates have declined; however, in developing countries, while death rates have declined due the improvements of living conditions, the birth rates are still high which has caused a record high population growth (HAUB & GRIBBLE, 2011).
"Smoking & Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease)." American Heart Association Smoking & Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease). American Heart Association, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that health conditions associated with the ageing process are arthritis, stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. These health concerns can be avoided...
During late adulthood, which begins around 65, many changes will take place. Death, sickness, and aging are some of the things you go through. Everyone is affected at some point. Individuals deal with these changes differently. Gerontology is the science that deals with the aging process. Vision can show impairment as people age. One of the changes in vision is the loss of accommodation of the lens. Most people 65 and older have hardened eye lens and have lost elasticity if the lens. Cataracts can form and vision becomes cloudy and is significantly impaired. Glaucoma is a serious condition that causes pressure to increase within the eye and it can result in blindness. Often hearing decreases with age. The hair cells in the Corti (inner ear) can cause a decrease in hearing frequencies. The ossicles and eardrum have a decrease in the transmittance of mechanical sound waves. Due to aging many elderly people have hearing impairment. Loss of appetite from connective tissue cells replacing taste buds. Skin can become thin, dry, and inelastic as it ages and the skin can fold and wrinkle from sagging.
As American society has evolved in the past 100 years and technology has increased and improved, so has the life expectancy for individuals. Currently, females can expect to live for 81 years on average, while males can expect to live for 75 years, giving an average life expectancy of 78.3 years (Santrock, 2013, p.536). According to Santrock (2013), “since 1900, improvements in medicine, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle have increased our life expectancy an average of 30 additional years,” but another important factor is the decreasing infant mortality, allowing a larger population of people, including older adults (p.536). Making good choices in diet, regular exercise, avoiding drugs and alcohol, along with getting enough sleep and maintaining a low and healthy stress level can all increase life expectancy. Relationships, emotional well-being, and having purpose all also play an important role in determining how long an individual will live. As people are living longer, more ...
Staying healthy does not only mean to eat a healthy diet, but also to be active and to provide our body with stamina so it can fight various diseases. According to Myers (2003) around a quarter of a million deaths in the United States are caused by insufficient physical activity. The US Public Health Service (1996) has provided enough evidence towards the effect of physical exercise on cardiovascular (e.g. coronary heart disease) and non-cardiovascular health (hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer etc.). They followed a group of people for several years and found a positive correlation between the amount of participants’ physical activity and their health problems. So how much exercise is just enou...
Centenarians are currently at the maximum peak of life longevity in the history of human life. Through the ages, the centenarian population worldwide has increased significantly. In the United States, there are currently 22 centenarians per 100,000 U.S. citizens, and rising (Hausman, 2011, p. 203-209). By 2050, there will be approximately 3.2 million centenarians around the world (Hausman, 2011, p. 203-209). With the increasing numbers, how is this achievable? Research and studies seek to find universal answers in the physiological, genetic and he...
Adulthood marks the largest component of lifespan defining the period when a person has attained maturity. Typically, development process manifests new trend in adulthood since it no longer centers on cognitive and physical growth spurts, but considerably characterized by psychosocial gains coupled with consistent but gradual physical declination (aging) prompted by primary determinants like decline or loss in cellular function, oxidative damage, tissue damage, natural selection, DNA modification, and secondary accelerators like general unhealthy lifestyles inclusive of poor diet and absence of physical exercises (Cavanaugh et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010). In tandem, this essay implores advancing
The natural process of aging is inevitable and we cannot escape it. The deterioration in health is associated with many factors like genetics and the environment. However, there are precautions and preventative steps we can take to help age healthier. Not smoking can prevent premature wrinkles and some sagging of the skin. A healthier diet and exercise can help maintain a lower weigh and keep your heart healthy. Taking supplements and vitamins can help the body when it’s difficult to receive there from your diet. When a person is not getting enough calcium from their diet they may resort to calcium supplements that can help with bone density loss. Everyone dreads getting old, but being well informed and taking preventative care can help with affect the changes of age.
Technology in terms of medicine has also increased the life expectancy of the average person. With new technological advancements in surgeries, medicines and treatments the average life expectancy is still on the increase. A recent study shows that the average life span for 2004 of a United States Citizen is 77.4 years old. This has increased significantly from 1900 where the average lifespan for a male was 48.2 and for the female 51.5. Thanks to technology we can now live longer.