Longevity in the UK

While we were visiting I read an article in The Guardian that was discussing longevity in the UK. I already knew that the British as a whole have a longer lifespan than the Americans, as well as much lower incidences of Diabetes. They are sometimes listed as 2nd or 3rd after the US(no 1) in obesity, but the margin between number 1 and 2 is quite large, and then between 2 and 3 and 3 and 4 etc is minimal. Please do not try and catch up with our country in that department! Just avoid the KFC's I was surprised to see whilst visiting your land!!

Anyway, my question relates to longevity within your country geographically. The article stated that Devon, Dorset, Sussex, E Anglia(and other nearby counties) in that order enjoyed the greatest health and longevity--and it was much higher than the counties with the lowest. Scotland as a whole was the lowest, with Glasgow being much much worse off in health decline and shorter lifespans. Why? I would have guessed that the air was even cleaner up north. Even Northern England was less highly ranked in health compared to the south(except Cornwall was listed somewhere in between). Ireland and North Wales were also very low ranked, but South Wales a bit higher.  I wish I could find this article online and copy/paste it.  Just wondered if anyone knows the reasons behind this. The article didn't give reasons, but it did cite the study which was apparently very very big and took years to collate.

If I do find it I will try and post it here(if anyone is interested).

Thanks---   Kip 

Post your link, Kip. sometimes the board runs a little slow. People will show up eventually. 

Quite a few members of my family made it up into their 90's. Even my old grandmother, who I never met, lived to be 92, way back in the 50's when she passed away. That was a decent age back in that day.

Just recently (within four years) I had an uncle who died five days before his 100th birthday. I think he would have lived beyond that had his beloved wife not died a few months earlier.

My family were country dwellers, growing their own food, chickens in the coop, some even had a cow or a goat. all of these things I believe helped them to live a good long life.

I will be interested to see you link. 

Something similar was mentioned on Radio Berkshire a week or so ago when they said in the not too distant future, 25% of the population will live to over 100.  They put a significant factor as being economic status.  I think Scotland's heart attack rate is higher than in England too.

KFC has been over here Tim at least 40 years that I know of. I remember in the early 60s in the US when Col. Sanders was a proper resturant chain and not a fast food outlet.

A relation of mine was 10 years old when Lincoln was elected; got married the same year as the Battle of the Little Big Horn 5 years before the Gunfight at the OK Corral, and died in the early part of WW2----1850 to 1940. 

I think a lot of the better health and longevity over there has to do with most of the people not having a car under their butts every time they go someplace.  Public transportation is huge, and even if you're riding buses and trains to get around, you have to walk to the station or bus stop.  In London, every sidewalk is packed full of pedestrians.  And they're all walking fast.  I recently started doing a 2-mile brisk walk every day (my dog, Denzil takes me :-) and I've dropped 22 lbs. since May. 

Most of the 80+ year old people I know, who can still get around and are relatively healthy, credit a daily walk as the reason.

As for the regional differences you mentioned, it may have something to do with traditional foods in different regions - some local dishes (the best ones) are probably higher in fat or sugar. 

Still trying to find the article on line(to post link).

My maternal grandfather was part of a longevity study with a Dr Perls through New England Journal of Medicine when he was 97(died age 99) and  they said the only three things they could find in common with those who lived long AND healthy lives were consuming honey(gramps kept bees his whole life), apples(he ate apple sauce as late night snack every night), walking(he walked daily), and long lived ancestors(his parents were both in their 90's). They also said that some people can do everything wrong, eat terribly, smoke, etc and still live long, and that others can do everything right and still die in their late 60's or 70's. Kind of makes one question everything!

That study is still being conducted so I'm sure they've come up with other factors.

Still curious about Devon/Dorset greater health compared to the North of the UK. It's a big difference, something like average lifespan late 80's in those southern counties compared to early 70's in the North.

Well I don't think this article was saying that no one can live long up north. It was giving averages. 

What is it about honey? 

Here is the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jun/08/life-expectancy-uk-data-health?intcmp=239