In the News Signs You’ll Live to 100 – Part I

Thanks to advances in health, education and disease prevention, people are living longer – many people hitting triple digits – more so than ever before. 

But there are also some everyday habits, or circumstances in your past, that can influence how long and how well you’ll live. 

Here is a two-part article of some science-based signs that you are on the long-life path. 

You love to work out.

Studies have shown that staying physically active can help improve your longevity and help reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions.

You have a relatively flat stomach after menopause.

Women who are too round in the middle are 20% more likely to die sooner (even if their body mass index is normal), according to a National Institute on Aging study. At midlife, it takes more effort to keep waists trim because shifting hormones cause most extra weight to settle in the middle. 

You were a healthy-weight teen.

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics that followed 137 African Americans from birth to age 28 found that being overweight at age 14 increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood. 

You like raspberries in your oatmeal.

Dietary fiber helps reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. 

Continued in Part II…