Healthy habits for a long life

A healthier lifestyle with purpose and meaning

You want to live for a long time. Currently, the average life expectancy is 73.5 years for men and 79.3 years for women.1 But your goal is to be above average. And there are ways to do that.

Just think: The average age people lived to in the year 1900 was just 47 years. It increased to 68 years in 1950. And it’s risen ever since.2 But life expectancy declined slightly in 2020 and 2021, dropping 1.8 years and nearly 1 year, respectively — the biggest two-year decline since 1921–1923.3

Deaths from COVID-19 and drug overdoses played a big role in the decline.4 Heart disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and suicide also contributed to the two-year decline.3 The American Indian/Alaska Native population experienced the biggest drops in life expectancy, while the Asian American population fared the best.2

Thankfully, the pandemic is no longer a federal Public Health Emergency, as of May 12, 2023.5

 

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