How Moving to the right Place Can Prolong your Life

[ER Eddie]

I think the reason that the Deep South has lower life expectancy has far more to do with income level, than it does with climate. Lots of folks can't afford health care, and live paycheck to paycheck (if they are employed at all), which doesn't bode well for taking care of themselves...lots of obesity in the South.

That's right. Plus education, which reduces people's understanding of how to maintain health. Plus cultural factors, such as familial habits around eating or other health behaviors (e.g., activity, substance use).

I don't think it has anything to do with climate at all. I don't believe these sorts of studies that are just correlational in nature and attempt through questionable statistical means to parse out the multitude of confounding factors and arrive at some reliable conclusion. It just doesn't produce good results -- although it does produce good headlines.

 

[HFWR]

I think this is true, especially if you are a refugee.

But you don’t have to live like a refugee... [emoji51]

 

[ABQ2015]

It looked to me like seniors who moved to the southeast and to states on the east coast, both northern and southern states, lived longer. This makes some sense to me since many wealthier and healthier northerners retire to the southeast. But those that retired to the Rocky Mountain, southwestern, and far midwestern states died earlier. Not sure what to make of that unless it is a reflection of access to healthcare. My southwestern state had fairly high life expectancies but the seniors who moved here did not do well - it was a red blob for them.

 

[Koolau]

Supposedly, Hawaii has the longest-lived citizens of any of the 50 states. The medical types would probably say it's because of the asian influence (better diet with very little meat and lots of fish, etc.) I think it's because people WANT to live longer there. Just my opinion so YMMV.

 

[LARS]

I cannot believe people get paid good money to conduct this kind of study.

Who amongst us didn’t know the following conclusion from the study: "The authors emphasize that by far the biggest determinant to longevity in any given place is what they call “health capital” — the prior health behaviors, medical care and genetic inheritances people accumulate throughout their lives."

 

[travelover]

I cannot believe people get paid good money to conduct this kind of study."

Judge Judy gets paid $47 million dollars a year for 50 shows

 

[Rianne]

My internal data suggests the place where I feel most comfortable, least stressed, enjoy the surroundings, activities and people. We moved often during working years. I gained weight and felt miserable in St. Louis, MO. The people were closed and unfriendly (at least where we lived). St. Louis was a lovely city at the time, temperature good, convenient location, St. Louis Cardinals but I hated it there.

DH interviewed in Boston. I went on a house hunting trip with him and cried each night. It felt cold and alienating to me. It seemed like pressure, fast and furious. DH also interviewed in CA. Again, did not feel comfortable. It's like I have to fit in to the lifestyle. I don't want to look around and feel like I have to change my behavior to fit in. Maybe I'm overly sensitive. It's interesting, I got the best feeling in Prague. I could make that home pretty easily.

Midwest feels like home in the states. I'm comfortable here.

IMHO, health is a state of mind (even if you're diagnosed with a disease or condition). Many health professionals over the years have told me a positive attitude makes you healthier.

 

[MarieIG]

The article says extreme heat and cold lowers lifespan. Yet people in Wisconsin live longer than people in Northern Nevada that has a mild 4 seasons.

They are preserved by the cold.

 

[Music Lover]

The article says extreme heat and cold lowers lifespan. Yet people in Wisconsin live longer than people in Northern Nevada that has a mild 4 seasons.

Cold kills far more people than hot does:

"Cold weather kills 20 times as many people as hot weather, according to an international study analyzing over 74 million deaths in 384 locations across 13 countries."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150520193831.htm

 

[Teacher Terry]

I think cold is healthier because it kills germs)

 

[googily]

It looked to me like seniors who moved to the southeast and to states on the east coast, both northern and southern states, lived longer. This makes some sense to me since many wealthier and healthier northerners retire to the southeast. But those that retired to the Rocky Mountain, southwestern, and far midwestern states died earlier. Not sure what to make of that unless it is a reflection of access to healthcare. My southwestern state had fairly high life expectancies but the seniors who moved here did not do well - it was a red blob for them.

I wonder if some of that red blob is people who are already not doing well health-wise and make a move to the desert southwest to try to improve their situation, but their "health capital" is already depleted.

 

[HI Bill]

Yeah, we’ve considered it, but the COL is scaring us away.

The cost of living varies greatly depending on which island you live. Since you're a scuba diver, Hawaii Island would be a great choice as it offers the state's best scuba diving, and has much lower real estate prices than Oahu or Maui. I'm betting that you could get a house there for similar to LA prices. Shop at COSTCO, buy COSTCO gas, and Wal Mart, and I don't think you'd see that great of a difference. I lived in Monterey, CA for a while, and the prices there were higher than Hawaii!

 

[haha]

My internal data suggests the place where I feel most comfortable, least stressed, enjoy the surroundings, activities and people. We moved often during working years. I gained weight and felt miserable in St. Louis, MO. The people were closed and unfriendly (at least where we lived). St. Louis was a lovely city at the time, temperature good, convenient location, St. Louis Cardinals but I hated it there.

DH interviewed in Boston. I went on a house hunting trip with him and cried each night. It felt cold and alienating to me. It seemed like pressure, fast and furious. DH also interviewed in CA. Again, did not feel comfortable. It's like I have to fit in to the lifestyle. I don't want to look around and feel like I have to change my behavior to fit in. Maybe I'm overly sensitive. It's interesting, I got the best feeling in Prague. I could make that home pretty easily.

Midwest feels like home in the states. I'm comfortable here.

IMHO, health is a state of mind (even if you're diagnosed with a disease or condition). Many health professionals over the years have told me a positive attitude makes you healthier.

I think this is very important. However how it acts on a given person seems variable. For example I left the midwest first for Boston, after that for LA then Seattle. All of these except perhaps LA are supposedly socially cold places. In a way I think this may be true, but I like Seattle best of all. I've been here ~50 years.

One annoying issue over the last 2 years is smoke from forest fires in late summer and early fall. I'll just hunker down and do my best. GF may leave if this weather change lasts, and I don't want to be alone at my age, but hey, earthquakes are often bigger trouble, and I am still here. Summers here have always been wonderful in the past.

I like to be on foot or foot/buses and I don't want a car. Where I live in Seattle is ideal for this, and much cheaper than anywhere I have lived before where this lifestyle is easy. Most of the units in my building are owned by single men. I think the only exceptions are one unit owned by a middle-aged software developer woman who lives elsewhere and rents out her unit here, and one unit owned and occupied by a young professional couple. Anyway, of the 10 units, only 5 have occupants with cars so you see it is definitely doable.

GF is a short bus ride or a modest walk away. Although her place is like 3 miles mostly downhill, which means getting home is ~3miles mostly uphill!



Ha

 

[gerntz]

The article says extreme heat and cold lowers lifespan. Yet people in Wisconsin live longer than people in Northern Nevada that has a mild 4 seasons.

Makes total sense to me. Cheeseheads drink more beer & smoke less than Desert Rats.

 

[gerntz]

- The difference between longest & shortest on that map is 7%. Sure I want longer, but that difference isn't huge.
- More than location; i.e., climate, my take is that it's lifestyle differences driven by education differences is what varies by location. The idea that moving somewhere would change lifestyle & thus life length is remote imo. I mean an underground coal miner in HI wouldn't live longer than one in WV in my mind - assuming he/she could find coal in HI.
- Weather doesn't seem to be a factor.
- I don't see that exercising outside or inside would make a difference. But I walk anywhere between 20 & 95 degrees - outside. And I exercise inside all year. I don't see how any of this would change if I moved.

 

[catii]

New Orelans to Honolulu

My wife & are both retired engineers, & I can provide some definitive reasons for one major reason that the South has lower life expectancies: POLLUTION!


We lived there for 10 years, & kept wondering why our pets were dying, usually from cancer. Lost two dogs, five parrots, & a cat in less than a decade, so we started having our vet do necropsies. Turns out that there's so much crud in the air, water, & soil that life expectancies are seriously affected.


Here, in Hawaii, we still lose an occasional pet, but it's from old age (cat 19, parrots 29 & 44), & I'm pretty damn sure that wife & I are in better health, too! No primary-level manufacturing out here, & the tradewinds blow away anything minor that we generate. Our only problem is vog (volcanic fog) that blows up here from the Big Islands when the trades get weak - then it looks like a typical day in L.A.

 

[Red Badger]

My wife & are both retired engineers, & I can provide some definitive reasons for one major reason that the South has lower life expectancies: POLLUTION!


We lived there for 10 years, & kept wondering why our pets were dying, usually from cancer. Lost two dogs, five parrots, & a cat in less than a decade, so we started having our vet do necropsies. Turns out that there's so much crud in the air, water, & soil that life expectancies are seriously affected.


Here, in Hawaii, we still lose an occasional pet, but it's from old age (cat 19, parrots 29 & 44), & I'm pretty damn sure that wife & I are in better health, too! No primary-level manufacturing out here, & the tradewinds blow away anything minor that we generate. Our only problem is vog (volcanic fog) that blows up here from the Big Islands when the trades get weak - then it looks like a typical day in L.A.

Not sure if painting the entire south with that broad brush is accurate. Anyhow, you'll probably be happy to know we're closing down North Carolina. We're seeing way too many immigrants from other states. Going to a merit based system. Factors in decision will include number of guns owned, type of boat (bass boats and pontoons are a plus) your bringing, and number of trucks and jeeps per household.

 

[Calico]

Not sure if painting the entire south with that broad brush is accurate. Anyhow, you'll probably be happy to know we're closing down North Carolina. We're seeing way too many immigrants from other states. Going to a merit based system. Factors in decision will include number of guns owned, type of boat (bass boats and pontoons are a plus) your bringing, and number of trucks and jeeps per household.

Thank you for responding. You saved me from responding and being banned.

It's a beautiful night here in North Carolina.

Edited to add: I've had pets in NC for 30 years, and they all died of old age.

 

[ychuck46]

I Believe It

While many can probably say a change does not necessarily prolong ones life, my wife and I would beg to differ. We left the extreme cold and misery of Upstate NY nine years ago for TN and winters in SC, and we say every day that moving here will likely prolong our lives (the TN winters are great, too, but we like being on the ocean when others are not, hence the reason for SC). Now if we can just keep all the Californians, the wrong type of New Yorkers, and others from IL and elsewhere that have ruined those states from coming here, we should be good for decades to come.

 

[ychuck46]

You'll thaw out

So I'll live a year longer here in Syracuse mostly because I'm stored on ice 7 months a year. Keeps the old meat from rotting.

From personal experience leaving Syracuse, it won't take long to thaw out and you'll be living life the way it should be lived, IF you get out of NY.

 

[ychuck46]

Not sure if painting the entire south with that broad brush is accurate. Anyhow, you'll probably be happy to know we're closing down North Carolina. We're seeing way too many immigrants from other states. Going to a merit based system. Factors in decision will include number of guns owned, type of boat (bass boats and pontoons are a plus) your bringing, and number of trucks and jeeps per household.

We need to have the same system here in TN, or at least in Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville. Personally we have #1 down to a science, we fail at #2 (prefer Harleys ourselves, which might merit some bonus points), and we drive an F-150 and a Hummer. We're golden!

 

[Teacher Terry]

My son’s asthma went away when we moved from Wisconsin to Kansas. We lived in the area between Milwaukee and Chicago when manufacturing was big. In Kansas it’s always windy so any pollution doesn’t stand a chance)

 

[GravitySucks]

From personal experience leaving Syracuse, it won't take long to thaw out and you'll be living life the way it should be lived, IF you get out of NY.

The article in the OP shows here better than there for once.
Just got back from Great Smokey's National Park. The park was great but surrounding towns are not places I'd enjoy living. Nashville visits a couple times seems to crowded and hot for my taste. Memphis doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
Am planning a visit to Knoxville and Chattanooga soon. Maybe one of those will have a draw.

 

[Bamaman]

The article in the OP shows here better than there for once.
Just got back from Great Smokey's National Park. The park was great but surrounding towns are not places I'd enjoy living. Nashville visits a couple times seems to crowded and hot for my taste. Memphis doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
Am planning a visit to Knoxville and Chattanooga soon. Maybe one of those will have a draw.

When working, I traveled Tennessee (and other states) extensively. Sounds as if you missed some of the really lovely towns of East TN--Morristown, Greeneville, Jonesborough/Johnson City. There are other great places to live West of Knoxville and south of Lenoir City on the Little Tennessee River. Maryville is also very nice. Just all of Middle Tennessee is nice, but it's getting HCOL in real estate prices. And traffic's sometimes debilitating. But south of Murfreesboro toward Shelbyville is really, really nice.

I remain with the Tennessee River in my front yard--2 hrs. south of Nashville Real estate prices are about as low as they go, and property taxes are ridiculously low. And it's not bad having 3 Robert Trent Jones golf courses within a mile of us.

 

[ychuck46]

There are good and bad places anywhere

The article in the OP shows here better than there for once.
Just got back from Great Smokey's National Park. The park was great but surrounding towns are not places I'd enjoy living. Nashville visits a couple times seems to crowded and hot for my taste. Memphis doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
Am planning a visit to Knoxville and Chattanooga soon. Maybe one of those will have a draw.

We chose to go the route of a small town and have not been disappointed in the Crossville area, Lake Tansi specifically for us. COL is low, the weather is great (four seasons without the winter extremes), and being a little up in altitude on the Cumberland Plateau we are little cooler than the cities you mention during the hot times of the summer. As for the cities they are being corrupted by those moving in from out of state (especially Nashville and then Knoxville) while Memphis has a bad crime rate due to the inner city. Chattanooga might still have possibilities; we would have moved there if we wanted a big city, and they have a trendy waterfront area on the river.