Symphonyofdreams wrote:...Which group of people is this?
They are people from the Okinawan islands, close to Japan. These longevity figures are for the older generations, not the younger people with a less traditional diet and lifestyle.
The Okinawa islands were and are culturally distinct from Japan. The diet of the older people is extremely low in fat, based primarily on sweet potatoes and rice, along with other vegetables, seaweed, tofu and very small amounts of fish.
Japanese are the longest-lived people in the world, and around five times as many Okinawans live past the age of 100 compared to mainland Japanese.
The Okinawan diet is one factor. There are other factors that may contribute to the long lifespan:
- Okinawan culture is much less stressful than the mainland
- Okinawan people tend to be active and stay active as they age
- Okinawan islands are Pacific islands with mild climate and good weather most of the year.
- Okinawans respect the older people and watch out for each other.
When the U.S. occupied the islands after WWII, of course we messed everything up. We built large military bases staffed with tens of thousands of servicemen, so the American lifestyle has heavily influenced everything since then. Okinawa has also become a big tourist destination for Japanese people.