Senior Population Grows, Extends

They may not be the largest population segment in number, but Americans age 100 and older do comprise the fastest growing population segment proportionately. In 2009, over 70,000 people age 100+ were living in the United States, according to the U.S Census Bureau.

The number of living centenarians in the U.S. has nearly doubled over population data from twenty years ago, reported Yahoo! News. Projections from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the number of centenarians at 600,000 in 2050.

Centenarians Around the World

Although data from developing countries is lacking in the estimated world total, the 450,000 known centenarians in industrialized nations is an impressive number.

Japan ranks second to the United States in number of people living to be at least 100 with 30,000 people. The Centenarian explains that this number has quadrupled in Japan in the last 10 years and estimates that by 2050 Japan will have more centenarians proportionately than any other country.

China, surprisingly enough, has only 7,000 centenarians. Spain has 10,000 100+ year-olds, Canada and Italy 5,000, and France has over 3,000. The tiny Czech Republic has 673 centenarians.

Aging in America

The increased number of people living to the age of 100 is attributed in part to the increase and use of long-term care facilities. Having worked in such facilities for almost 30 years, I can attest that this may answer a small portion of the question as to why more people are living longer.

Perhaps it is true of assisted living facilities that don't have the same negative connotations as do nursing homes. I'm not trying to take away anything from nursing homes--many of them are excellent facilities, caring for older adults as they would want their family members cared for. But it is the rare senior adult who enters a nursing home with a positive outlook--and outlook and attitude are a big slice of the pie in attaining longevity.

When you think about living to a ripe, old age, you likely see yourself as a mentally competent and physically-able person. Many of the people who are admitted to nursing homes suffer from mental illness or disease and/or physical illness or disability. If this weren't so, they would choose to remain independent and they would not qualify for nursing home care.

Living to be 100 can be done with your health and mental faculties intact. Heredity plays a vital role and so does lifestyle and attitude. Good nutrition and regular physical activity are important parts of a healthy lifestyle. So is stress management, healthy relationships, a good sense of humor, belief in a power greater than yourself and a good dose of spunk.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau
Yahoo! News
The Centenarian
New England Centenarian Study
Personal Experience