The elderly live longer in France. There are 20,000 centenarians in a population of 60,000,00, almost twice as many as the UK. And while deaths from heart disease have halved in the UK in the last 20 years, in France they have decreased by 75% to a quarter of where they were two decades ago.
This high life expectancy is attributed to a balanced diet, lack of obesity and lower stress levels. The French, or many of them, eat fish, salad, fruit and vegetables. What is more, they do it sitting down at a proper table, with a glass or two of red wine, enjoying life.
Older citizens with medical problems receive superior care across the Channel. The death of 15,000 people in a heatwave in 2003 had a profound effect on priorities in the French health system, inducing much more investment in the care of the elderly.
From our June 2008 e-newsletter
