What makes you live longer?

We all strive to be healthy and live a long happy life, but how do we do this? Is it just eating healthy food and keeping fit, or is there other impacts involved on how long you will live?

There have been many books published saying that where you stand on the class-system defines how long you live. Basically, if you live your life believing you're poor, or come from a disadvantaged family/background, then you're less likely to be happy. You will possibly develop stress and depression, which are huge factors in how long you're expected to live.

This isn't for everyone who is lower or middle class though, many do not strive to be a higher class or famous, they just strive to succeed. They aren't depressed or stressed; so they do not find life as hard.

While you may be appalled at this, it's actually true, depression and stress does happen to many people who believe they've failed or were born into a failed life. Stress effects the immune system, allowing more infective bacteria to harm you. Depression can do all sorts of things, from making you unable to carry on eating or sleeping, to just hurting your insides.

Of course, people that have came from higher-class backgrounds can be depressed and stressed, but this is normally to do with their social-insufficiencies or bad-relationships. In the lower or middle class, it's normally to do with how life has panned out or how they missed opportunities. It's basically a reflection of the past, that makes them wonder why they couldn't of been famous or rich.

In all foods, there's such a thing as too little and such a thing as too much. We're all recommended to have five fruit & veg per day, which is fair - just put vegetables on lunch, tea and in your sandwich, then eat two pieces of fruit. The question is, when does fruit & veg become too much? Eight? Ten? Twenty?

No! It actually depends what you eat, but it's recommended you don't eat over six greens per day and over three citrus fruits per day.

Going away from the fruit & veg side - fish. It is recommended you eat at least two/three fish meals per week to sustain more years on your life. Researching Japan, they found that the Japanese have aged so well because they eat a lot of fish meals; what are very good for health.

Now onto the red-meat side, red-meat is stated healthy, but is eating it everyday taking away your life? Yes! It's said that eating over three red-meat meals per week is "too" much, and may effect your health. The fats involved in cooking red-meat are okay, as long as you don't overdose on them (by overdose, I mean excess).

Fatty products now. While many radicals believe that fatty products shouldn't be allowed anywhere, they're actually very good...in small quantities. For example, did you know three bars of chocolate a week may sustain your immune system and make you more happy? And as I said before, happiness may keep you stronger. Did you know that two packets of crisps are okay, as they contain small amounts of potato?

We've already touched on this in social classes. Obviously, parenting is a part of your social life, they bring you into this life and show you where you stand, but there's more to parenting then that.

Jobs

The jobs your parents hold are important to your life, apparently, if you're father works in manual trades; such as building, plumbing, engineering, you may lose around one/two years of your life - because, again, of social standing. On the other side, if your mother works in accounting, nursing, or secretarial work you get an extra two years on your life. Of course, this could all be pish.

Parenting

If you're without a mother or father, you usually lose around five years of your life. Again, because of the depression involved within a household and the stress your mother/father passes on from delivering you through childhood alone.

If you're adopted more than once or have been put in care because your parents couldn't manage a child, then you will lose five years again.

While you may be thinking, how does this work? It's just real depression or anger in how your life has panned out - it doesn't count if the adult grows up to understand the problems he faced, but deals with them.

Skill

If your parents are talented and help you with homework and have great general knowledge, it's said that six months is added on to your life, and vise-versa, if they aren't, six months off.

If you're over 25 years old and work in a job that earns under £23,000, you lose one year of your life. If you earn over £23,000 but under £50,000, you lose and gain nothing. If you earn over £50,000, that's two years added on.

This may vary on how many children you've had and how you live your life. The example above is of a adult that has two children, aged 2 and 6.

Equator

It's said that the closer you are to the equator, the more you live. If you live in a coastal area close to the equator, that's three years on your life - because you eat fresher food and get more sun in your system. If you live in Malaga - Spain, it's expect you'll gain three more years then the average Englishman.

MEDC - LEDC

If you live in an LEDC country, you're expect to lose around 10-15 years off your life. If you live in an MEDC, you lose none and gain none. If you live in Finland, Sweden or Norway you're expect to gain 2 years.

Slum or Suburb

If you live in a suburb or closed community, you're expected to gain a year. If you live in a slum or inner-city, you're expect to lose a year. If you live in an area of middle-class value, you gain none and lose none.

Alcohol

If you drink one glass of wine per day, you will add a year to your life!

Anything over 10 pints of larger per week takes one year off your life. If you have 20 pints per week, that's two years. 30 is five years off.

Drugs

Drugs take 5 to 25 years off your life, depending on the substance and quantity.

Homelessness

Being homeless takes 25 years off your life and 35 if you were born into homelessness.