Eat a Whole Food Plant Based Diet To Improve Your Healthy Life Expectancy

Worldwide life expectancy increased from the years 1990 to 2010 for a variety of reasons. This of course is good news. However, as the total amount of time we are living increases, so has the amount of time we are spending sick and disabled. Disability is becoming more of a concern than premature death. In developed countries, which for the most part, have eliminated the diseases of poverty, people suffering with the chronic diseases of affluence are being kept alive longer. Many are alive, but they are far from well.

Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) is a population health measure that combines mortality data with morbidity or health status data to estimate expected years of life in good health for persons at a given age. HLE accounts for quantity and quality of life and can be used to describe and monitor the health status of populations.

In David Brown’s article “Burden of Disease: study shows a world living longer with more disability”, he writes:

“People are living longer lives, but the time they are gaining isn’t entirely time with good health. For every year of life expectancy added since 1990, about 9¹ / ₂ months is time in good health. The rest is time in a diminished state — in pain, immobility, mental incapacity or medical support such as dialysis. For people who survive to age 50, the added time is “discounted” even further. For every added year they get, only seven months are healthy”.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US spends more on health care per capita than any other country in the world. In fact, The US spends more than 50% more than the next highest country. Yet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ranking of health care systems in 2000 ranked the US at # 38.

The US Healthy Life Expectancy is 70 years, which ranks 32^nd in the world. The US obesity rate is a staggering 31.8 %, 2^nd highest in the world. Clearly we can do better. Our system of treating chronic diseases with expensive drugs and surgical procedures is keeping us alive, fat and sick. Americans deserve to live long and HEALTHY lives.

There is an abundant amount of evidence that shows that adopting a whole food plant based diet (WFPB) can not only increase our years, but can also increase the quality of those years. In Dr. Michael Greger’s video: “ From Table to Able: Combating Disabling Diseases with Food”, he explains how WFPB diets can reduce disability caused by our most common chronic diseases. (ie. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, and various cancers). You may be surprised to discover the science he shares revealing that our diets can actually be used to alleviate lower back pain, treat blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy, treat pain from diabetic neuropathy and prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Greger also discusses why this information remains largely hidden from most Americans.

If you are struggling with a chronic disease, you owe it yourself to watch Dr. Greger’s video.  If you’ve been slow to make significant dietary changes, this video may be the kick in the pants that you need.