Healthy living
Body matters
Living longer
Life expectancy for both men and women at age 65 has reached its highest levels ever, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics
If you're a British man aged 65 you can look forward to another 16.6 years of life, while a woman of the same age can expect to live for a further 19.4 years, if mortality rates remain the same as in 2003-05.
Between 1980-82 and 2003-05 life expectancy at age 65 in the UK jumped by 3.7 years for men and 2.5 years for women. Around one third of this increase occurred over the last five years.
However, your prospects depend in part on where you live. People in England live the longest, with men aged 65 living for a further 16.8 years and women another 19.6 years on average. Next longest living are the Welsh followed closely by the Northern Irish.
The Scots have the shortest life span, with men aged 65 gaining just another 15.5 years and women at the same age, 18.4 years.
The ONS report also highlights the fact that there are big differences across the country UK in the number of years people live without experiencing any disability.
Men who live in Hart in Hampshire, can expect to enjoy 68.8 years free from disability while, at the other end of the scale, men living in the lowest ranking district, Easington in Durham, have 50.5 years of disability-free life.
Experts worry that while life expectancy is growing, more people are spending their extra years in ill-health.
How to boost your life expectancy and stay well</h1><h1 class="h1smlsect">Increase your levels of physical exercise
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that moderate physical activity led to an increase in 1.3 years more in total life expectancy for men aged 50 years or older and 1.5 years for women of the same age. With high levels of activity this increased to 3.7 years for men and 3.3 years for women.
Eat a healthy balanced diet rich in fibre
The Lancet reported recently that a 50g increase in fruit and vegetable consumption per day could cut the risk of dying early from any cause by 20 per cent. This roughly corresponds to eating an extra apple a day.
Reduce your salt intake
High blood pressure increases risk of stroke and heart attack. High salt intake has been associated with increased risk of high blood pressure. Small and easily achievable reductions in salt intake, e.g. by less than a teaspoon daily, (about 5 grams), may halve a person's chances of getting high blood pressure.
Maintain a healthy weight for your height
Obesity appears to be a risk factor for a number of cancers including breast cancer in women after the menopause, and kidney cancer.
In a study of more than 13,000 women published in The Lancet it was found that those who ate the most saturated fat were almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who ate the least.
Saturated fats are found mainly in full-fat milk, meat and products such as biscuits and cakes.
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.