keys to aging happily and healthily

Life expectancy in France is one of the highest in the world, and continues to increase. However, statistics reveal significant disparities depending on the region, profession and lifestyle. Beyond each person’s own cultural or genetic background and life’s accidents, there are many modifiable factors that we can act on as individuals, and that the community must question: tobacco and alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, diet, risky behaviors, etc.

Under what conditions can we really hope to have the longest possible life and the least tainted by health problems? How can we sort between the pseudo-scientific hypotheses, numerous on the internet, and the factors whose impact is scientifically proven? And how can we rank and prioritize the areas that should be paid attention to in order to age happily and in good health?

Where to find reliable information?

The question of quality and lifespan gives rise to countless theories and so-called infallible recipes, spread in particular on the Internet. Where can you find reliable information and how can you recognize it?

Reliable information is free , it can be found on official websites (large pharmaceutical groups, public bodies, etc.) and without any compensation.

Reliable information is never associated with a commercial approach

Health products (medicines, vitamins, etc.) for which there is solid evidence of effectiveness are reimbursed by Health Insurance.

There is no easy miracle solution to extend life expectancy: distrust must be the rule with regard to the “merchants of illusions”, of whom there are many.

By nature, doctors and researchers doubt the truth. They observe, measure, compare and experiment to provide solid evidence.

This is why it is preferable to have information provided by a large group of doctors or scientists working together , ideally from several countries, rather than the “crusade” of an isolated doctor outside the community.

Finally, scientific truth is evolving: research advances, new ideas and new evidence appear regularly.

The role of genetic background

Our genetic heritage is carried by the chromosomes located in the nucleus of all our cells. Each of us receives a genetic heritage from both parents, the union of the paternal sperm and the maternal egg leading to a mixture of the genetic heritages of the two families. This mixture varies from one child to another, which is why all our children are both close and different!

What if you quit smoking?

It has been scientifically proven that quitting smoking has immediate beneficial effects , it allows you to regain several years of life expectancy regardless of the age of quitting.

It is just as beneficial to stop smoking after an illness: many studies have shown that the risk of death or relapse decreases very significantly with quitting smoking:

Between 1995 and 2015, Australia managed to halve the number of smokers, going from 24% to 12% with projections of 6%, thanks to a massive policy and using all methods.

How could France catch up? By jointly using all the methods that have proven themselves:

understand that smoking is not a chosen behavior but a deep addiction,

help smokers quit smoking with proven therapies, reimbursed by Health Insurance,

make all our living spaces “smok-free” to put an end to passive smoking and the promotion of tobacco.