How long we live
If you reach 90, how many years are left?
Suppose you are 90 years old. Or your mother is, or the woman next door. Someone asks how many years are left. You could guess one or two. The published tables give a longer answer.
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How long we live
Why life expectancy at birth says little about a 60-year-old
Suppose you are 60 and you read that life expectancy in your country is 78.7 years. The country may be the United States, or Mexico, or Japan. The sum seems simple. Subtract 60 and 18.7 years remain.
How long we live
The chance of reaching 90, for one person and for a couple
Suppose two people, both 65, sit down to plan how long their money should last. One says thirty years, which ends at 95. How likely is it that either of them is alive then?
How long we live
Five habits and up to 14 more years
Suppose you counted how many of five habits you have today. The five are never smoking, a healthy weight, at least 30 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous activity, moderate drinking, and a healthy diet.
How long we live
Thirty minutes a day: what the research says about how much movement counts
Suppose you walk briskly for 30 minutes on five days a week. That adds up to 150 minutes, which is the minimum for moderate activity in US guidelines. What does that buy?
How long we live
Long life or a life well lived: what about the glass of wine?
My mother died young, of an autoimmune disease. She died at the age I am now. That weighs on me, and it has shaped how I read everything in this series.
How long we live
Why life expectancy at 60 differs between countries
Imagine two people turn 60 on the same day. One lives in Japan and one lives in Mexico. How many more years does each expect?
How long we live
Do wealthy Americans live as long as wealthy Europeans?
Suppose two people are 65. Both have savings, a home and a doctor. One lives in the United States and the other in Germany or Spain. Would you expect their chances of living the next twelve years to match?
How long we live
Do people who move take on their new country's life expectancy?
Suppose a person moves at 60 to a country where people who reach 60 live two years longer on average. Does the person gain the two years? The question has two parts.
How long we live
Living long and living well are different goals
Suppose someone offers you two more years at 60. Before you answer, you might ask what shape those years would be in. Researchers ask that question with healthy life expectancy.