Some secrets of longevity
The average life expectancy in the United States has fallen behind that of other industrialized nations as the American income gap has widened. In addition, better health habits, including those involving weight control, nutrition, and exercise, clearly influence the effects of aging among segments of the U.S. population. “Widening inequalities in the U.S. are growing over time, not decreasing,” said Lisa Berkman, the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. Addressing an HSPH forum Tuesday called “Living Longer and Happier Lives: The Science Behind Healthy Aging,” she said mortality rates have increased among less-educated American women, and even wealthy Americans have a shorter life expectancy than their European counterparts. “Diet does seem to make a difference,” said Francine Grodstein, professor of epidemiology at HSPH and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical...