How is it that while having one of the lowest life expectancies among wealthy countries, the United States spends the most on healthcare? (To be exact: 79 years old, $9,400 per capita, and 31st.)
Maybe those of us in the healthcare industry have been viewing things incorrectly for too long.
Healthy lifestyle and longevity
Using information from the renowned Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a significant study on the influence of healthy behaviors on life expectancy (HPFS). This indicates that they have access to data for a very long time on a significant number of individuals. Over 78,000 women were tracked by the NHS between 1980 and 2014. Over 40,000 males were enrolled in the HPFS, which tracked them from 1986 to 2014. There are more than 120,000 individuals in this study, and the data span 28 years for males and 34 years for women.
The researchers examined information from the NHS and HPFS that had been gathered via routinely given, validated questionnaires about food, physical activity, body weight, smoking, and alcohol intake.
What is a healthy lifestyle, exactly?
These five areas were included because previous research has indicated they have a significant bearing on the probability of early mortality. Here is how these beneficial practices were identified and evaluated:
1. A healthy diet, which was assessed based on the reported consumption of foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as foods such as red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks, trans fats, and salt.
2. A healthy physical activity level, is defined as at least 30 minutes a day of strenuous to moderate activity.
3. A healthy body weight is one with a body mass index (BMI) that falls within the range of 18.5 and 24.9.
.png)
