I can’t bring myself to spend a long time on this article as the “Duh!” factor is so overwhelming. The conclusion is so simple yet so profound I can’t leave it untouched. The community in which you live affects the length of your life. Wow, earth shattering news flash, right?
The study looked at the deaths of over 100,000 Washington state residents between 2011 and 2015 to compare factors that may have influenced which ones lived to 100 years old versus those who died prior to their century birthday. Having a neighborhood that was walkable, having higher economic status and a mix of ages in the neighborhood contributed to longer lives.
Of course, this will be spun to highlight inequities and advocate for political changes. Forget the political activism. Be the change. Don’t wait for some crazy politician to do something. Find ways to build community health. Be creative and put yourself out there to care for other in your community. Encourage walking. Support local businesses. Bring together all ages in the community so that all generations benefit from the interactions.
Okay, off my soap box now and back to business.
Original Article:
Rajan Bhardwaj, Solmaz Amiri, Dedra Buchwald, Ofer Amram. Environmental Correlates of Reaching a Centenarian Age: Analysis of 144,665 Deaths in Washington State for 2011−2015. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020; 17 (8): 2828 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082828
Thanks to Science Daily:
Washington State University. “Centenarian study suggests living environment may be key to longevity.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 June 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200617145256.htm>
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
Washington State. Hmm. Certainly Seattle is not the entirety of the state (nor Chaz / Chop) but it was/is the suicide capital of the country. Interesting indeed.