Nov 28, 20211 min read

Learning From the Longest-Lived Countries

An important way to measure health is to observe the behaviors of the longest-lived societies. The Japanese have consistently been the longest-lived large nation, ranking 2nd behind Hong Kong in 2021 according to the United Nations Population Division estimates. The top large industrialized nations shown on this graphic.

As you can see, the United States, with all its medical prowess and the FDA, lags way behind, with women experiencing 6.5 fewer years of life, and men 6 years, compared to our Japanese friends. Opinions vary widely as to the “why” of the Japanese longevity. Often explanations include, "the Japanese eat less red meat," for example. Is it the red meat, or is it something related to red meat consumption along with other cultural factors that make its consumption deleterious? I am not a reductionist who believes one thing can be a sole cause of something as multi-factorial as chronic disease susceptibility and longevity. Instead, I look at the larger picture of how behaviors contribute to mechanisms that impact longevity.