Healthspan vs Lifespan….what matters more to you on the bumpy road of existence?
When I asked this question to my followers on Facebook, I was surprised that several folks responded lifespan. I was certain that most people would say healthspan, but then again, I’m often wrong about things and always learning. I pondered why folks chose lifespan, and I concluded that many took a more religious approach to the question or simply wanted to spend as much time as possible being alive, even if it meant dealing with the frustrations of failing health. As someone who chose healthspan, I ended up admiring the folks who chose lifespan, because they must really enjoy this life-what they do, who they are with, whatever it is they get out of it-to say lifespan. Then again, maybe a majority of them are afraid to die, I don’t know for sure! ;)
Healthspan vs Lifespan, here’s why I chose healthspan:
From a wellness perspective, healthspan means more to me than lifespan.
Lifespan is the number of years we are on earth. Healthspan is the portion of one’s life that he/she is in good health. That’s more valuable to me, because health affects everything: our ability to function and enjoy life. I feel like when I no longer can enjoy life or I’m tethered to earth by tubes and pills to just minimally function, I’ll want out.
Sadly, we see chronic illnesses (obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chronic pain, mental health diseases, cancers) increasing in younger people, and in some cases, at faster rates than older people, which is shortening their healthspans significantly. That is SAD given all of the research on diet, exercise, stress, intimacy, sitting too much and sleep that shows us the way to increase our healthspans. Of course, illness can be random no matter what someone does (such is the nature of life and sometimes genetics), but in an advanced society, alarm bells should be going off when we see healthspans decreasing for younger and younger people. Health IS wealth, and I’m afraid our unhealthy society is robbing kids of their healthspans. I hope we can turn it around but it’s going to be an uphill battle that involves massive systemic change and taking on some pretty powerful corporations. No doubt an uphill battle worth fighting, and if you don’t feel that way yourself, do it for the younger generation that’s still excited about life.
Check out: Does an Apple a Day REALLY Keep the Doctor Away?
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I made a video version of healthspan vs lifespan, so if you prefer to watch videos instead of read blogs, you can watch here: