Secrets of longevity: Stay active, live moderately, be happy

By Zhang Qian  |   2008-11-18  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

PEOPLE always have dreamed of a long happy life and a fountain of youth, but for Shanghai people nowadays living to be over 100 and staying healthy is no longer a dream.

There were 759 Shanghai residents over 100 years old in 2007, according to the Shanghai Gerontology Association. The number increases at nearly 14 percent a year.

Ten healthy old people, all over 103, were honored in September as the Top 10 Longevity Stars. The association selected five men and five women, taking into consideration their age, health status and ability to care for themselves.

The eldest of the 10 is 109-year-old Li Suqing, also the city's oldest, who lives in Pudong. The other nine senior celebrities range in age from 103 to 107.

All are capable of walking and getting about on their own. All are considered healthy for their impressive age. They're all hard of hearing, so they tend to live a bit in their own worlds and happily share their memories.

Shanghai's population was officially classified as "aging" (when the number of people over 60 years old represents more than 10 percent of the total) as early as 1979, 20 years before China as a whole, according to Sun Pengbiao, secretary general of the local gerontology association.

Shanghai has the nation's highest percentage of aged people, 20.8 percent in 2007. It also has the highest life expectancy - 81, compared with the national average of 73 years.

Improved medical care, better food and living standards are, of course, important factors in longevity.

A look at the top 10 senior stars also reveals other clues to long, healthy life.

Considering all factors, strong genes contribute around 15 percent to long life, good social connections 10 percent, improved medical care 8 percent, and climate another 7 percent, according to Professor Wang Chuanfu, vice president of the gerontology association.