A USA Today article "Fabric of Long Life", reviews the book, "The Okinawa Program" written by Craig and Bradley Wilcox and shows five ways to lengthen your life... This article points out that Okinawans live longer and better than anyone else in the world (other than in a few remote valleys). Their life expectancy is 81.2 years compared with Japan's 79.9 years and the USA's 76.8 years.
The article credits their long life to five lifestyle habits; a diet rich in tofu, seaweed and fish, plus warm weather, low stress life and spirituality.
Okinawa is a collection of islands strung between Japan and Taiwan and its residents are considered among the world's healthiest people. They often live well into their 90s and 100s.
The population has low rates of obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, memory loss, menopause, and breast, colon and prostate cancer, far below America and other industrialized countries. Researchers have found that many Okinawans are physically younger than their chronological ages.
The Okinawa Program says that low-fat diet, exercise, stress management, strong social and family ties, and spiritual connectedness is important actors that keep Okinawans youthful.
When younger Okinawans pick up Western habits, their rates of obesity, illness, increase and life expectancy shortens.
