The secret of long life.Byline: The Register-Guard Benton County Benton County is the name of nine counties in the United States:
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a report from the Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard School of Public Health is (colloquially, HSPH) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, next to Harvard Medical School and Cambridge, Massachusetts, , while Klamath County has the shortest average life span. The disparity in life expectancies is not as dramatic in Oregon as in some other parts of the country, although the range between Benton and Klamath counties exceeds five years. Longevity, however, has more to do with how people live than where they live. Benton County is no more blessed with a healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. location than
surrounding counties, including Lane, whose residents have shorter
average life spans. But Benton has a lower percentage of smokers than
all but three Oregon counties, and also has the state's
second-lowest rate of obesity. Smoking and obesity are both well-known
risk factors for a variety of diseases, many of which can lead to an
early death.
Look for a population that does not smoke and is not obese, and you'll find people living longer. Add a few other factors, such as a low incidence of alcoholism and access to health care, and even greater longevity will follow. Compared to lifestyle factors, geography has a minor effect on life span. Benton County is not a uniquely healthful place to live. The people there simply lead somewhat more healthful lives. |
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