In Dr. Peter Attia’s 2023 book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, he discusses the importance of changing the way we think (and act) when it comes to modern medicine and our personal wellbeing. One of the changes he advocates for is to think in terms of Healthspan rather than Lifespan.
Healthspan puts the focus on the quality of our health as we age, living free of disability and disease, rather than just how many years we manage to survive. In 1900, the average lifespan was about 50 years, while today the average American will live to be 77. Dr. Attia points out that in the early 1900’s most people died of ‘fast causes’ like accidents and infectious diseases. In today’s world, those fast causes have been mostly replaced by slow, drawn out deaths due to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. In many instances, those diseases develop in individuals who are relatively young and still active in the workforce.