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More Japanese Celebrating 100
The number of Japanese blowing out 100 birthday candles
this year hit a record high.
According to the Japanese government's Health
Ministry,6,409 people will celebrate their centennial
this year; 81 percent of them are women. And
the average life expectancy in Japan is 84 years for
women and 77 years for men, according to the
Health Ministry's National Institute of
Population and Social Security. That makes the Japanese
the longest-living society in the world.
Last month, the national Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reported that the The
average American woman lives to 79; the average man lives
to 73.
Factors that are important in Japanese
culture which may be important in this aspect are :
Japanese diet, which is rich in
vegetables and seafood, helps Japanese
live to see 100.
They eat less fatty food.
Also, the fact that Japanese
culture emphasizes social harmony and not
confrontation, helps too.
And, often elderly Japanese live
with families and are not excluded
from family and social life as they get older.
They're still part of the family group. Recent
research has shown elderly people with strong
social connections live healthier lives.
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