More centenarians in Nova Scotia
Cats: Canada|Apparently our province has more centenarians than most other parts of the country.
The average number of 100-year olds is 14 per 100,000. In Nova Scotia, it’s 21 per 100,000.
I have personal experience of this. My own grandmother is 104 and in good health, except for her knees and her hearing. She’s getting forgetful. She forgets that her husband died three years ago and that her sister died 30 years ago.
But she always knows who I am when she sees me.
It’s interesting that this province has such longevity. On one hand, it makes sense. Lifestyle and environmental factors play a role. We have a slow lifestyle and change comes gradually here. There isn’t a big manufacturing base and our population is still under a million – meaning fewer cars and less pollution.
But there are contradictory factors too: we have some of the highest rates of cancer, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, diabetes, MS and poverty in the country. We also have the lowest disability-free life expectency in the country.
Go figure.
And in the pre-rust belt days, this province suffered from acid rain and air pollution that blew over from the Northeastern US.
My guess is that genetics have a big role in the number of 100-year olds.
My other guess is that in 50 years from now we won’t have such high rates of centenarians.
The lifestyle and environmental factors that produced today’s 100-year olds existed some 50 or more years ago.
Things are different today. Our kids suffer weigh-related medical conditions and our diets are based on processed foods full of salt and sugar.
Perhaps we should be investing more in the study of these centenarians so we might emulate their lifestyles and live longer.
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Your grandmother is in better shape than I am! Can I join your family?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I like to think that longevity can be achieved by throwing everything at your body when you are young (bacteria, viruses, junk food, alcohol, smoke, dust, etc…). Your physiology responds by building a tough machine. After one has achieved “machine” status then they can graduate to healthy eating, exercise, and rest.
If I’m right i should live well into my 140’s.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:12 am
It’s remarkable that your grandmother has passed the century mark and is still around. Those are great genes and you are so lucky.
I think that Nova Scotia’s slow lifestyle helps and maybe there is something in the fog as well that preserves us a bit more.
June 25th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Barbara, you’re welcome anytime, but I’m warning you, there are warts!
Dick, you will definitely live a long life if this is your criteria.
Chris, my grandmother lived a pretty clean life, went to church, never smoked, might have had a sip of wine every now and then. She used to fix the meat and potatoes meal at noon and when went to be early and rose early. And she’s still here.
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I’ve known your grandmother for over 30 years — she used to be my mother-in-law actually and so now you know who I am — I was researching people over 100 and accidently came across your article — I also found one which Associated Press reports that there are 4635 persons in NS over the age of 100 — the worldwide number is 340,000 – so far “G” is still a rarity — and she’s lovely.