L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I taly is becoming a country of old men and women. Or is it? True, Il Bel Paese does have the lowest natality rates of the continent, with only 7.8 children born every 1000 people, half of the rates in Ireland, the most pro- lific of the EU states. Yet, demo- graphics are quite complex when it comes to the age and health of Italian people, because if it's undoubted we don't have enough children to support national demographic growth, there isn't a shred of a doubt we're aging pretty darn well compared to the rest of the world. Possibly in an attempt to make the country feel better about the prospect of having soon to close down uber-trendy nightspots to replace them with pensioner-friendly arts and crafts circles, the media have been stressing this aspect a lot in recent times. Not longer than a week ago, news broke that Italy is, once more, the country with the highest life expectancy in the EU (80.6 years for men and 85 for women) and the second high- est in the world, in a tie with Japan. Generational turnover may be insufficient, but Italian elderly have been living longer and bet- ter than ever. Of course, there are pragmatic problems associated with this picture, first above them all its consequences on the State's social security system, but let's focus on the bright side of it, for a change. So, why are older Italian so healthy? The reasons are many and the overall good state of the Italian public healthcare system is cer- tainly one of them: yes, there are areas of the country where it runs better than in others but, overall, Italian hospitals are good and Italian doctors are, indeed, out- standing professionals. In the end, Italy doesn't have one of the best public health services in the world for nothing. But you see, the point here is another. The point is our elderly tend not to need the doctor as much as you may expect, yet they live long -very long - healthy lives anyway. According to the most recent data, there are more than 19000 people in Italy over the age of 100, the eldest among them being 115 years old Giuseppina Proietto, class 1902, of Montelupo Fiorentino, in Tuscany. Before her, there was Piedmontese Emma Morano, who closed her eyes last April at the happy age of 117 and 137 days, the eldest person on the planet. Italians must have good genes, but experts are adamant diet and lifestyle are major fac- tors positively influencing healthy aging in the country. Italy, in the end, is home to the Mediterranean diet, itself part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage, so it comes as no surprise we do eat healthy here: fresh produce is still rela- tively cheap and widely accessi- ble, and Italian culinary culture stresses the importance of keep- ing things simple and unprocessed, which is very much what your doctors, if they're any- thing like mine, have been repeating to you constantly since you've turned old enough to understand the meaning of those words. Italy is also a country where life is lived with pleasure, espe- cially by people belonging to the oldest generations. Far from per- petrating the trite stereotype everyone in Italy lives without stress, walks everywhere and owns a casale on the hills of Tuscany, there is a definite truth about the way our elders take life in strand and, well, with a good pinch of salt. There's, in the older generations, a sense of truly knowing what's worth get- ting upset or worry about and also, more prosaically, a certain penchant for preferring country life to the chaotic reality of our cities. Could these be sufficient rea- sons to explain the presence of so many supercentenarians in Italy and, even more specifical- ly, to justify the presence of bona fide "pockets" of over-100s in certain geographical areas? Take Montemaggiore Belsito, in Sicily, for instance: 9 of its 3500 residents are, alas, over 100 years old. Italy's second largest island, Sardinia, has been at the center of numerous studies and plenty of research aimed at understanding why its popula- tion ages so much and so well. In fact, Sardinia is Italy's only Blue Zone, a way of defining specific geographical areas with a notably high density of people over 100. In case you're interest- ed, we're talking about the area comprised between Nuoro and Ogliastra, in the south of the island. Researchers do highlight how, also in this case, it all comes down to lifestyle and diet: a plate full of fresh vegetables, fish, pulses and, crucially, the company of your family, are likely to make you healthier and older. Yes, your family: studies conducted on Sardinian popula- tion of the Blue Zone showed how meaningful social interac- tions, such as that entertained with family members and close friends, support harmonious aging and keep people mentally and physically healthy. And you know what? Apparently a good glass of wine every day, a common habit in Sardinia as much as in the rest of Italy, may also help you keep healthy and strong. Cannonau, Sardinia's own favorite red should be called, then, a long life elixir, but don't discount other reds, from everywhere in Italy and abroad: their high content of antioxidants guarantees an excellent way to fight against aging. And what about genes? Well, researchers did identify a "longevity gene" common to the people of southern Sardinia, likely the result of centuries of genetic isolation, but are very much sure it's only a marginal contributory factor to the phe- nomenon. Science agrees with common knowledge, then: good healthy food, along with a more relaxed lifestyle brightened by deep, meaningful relationships, are the true secret to live life well and for long. Italy's beautiful land- scapes may be, indeed, an excel- lent addition to this list. Tradition, and good, old fashioned habits can make you 100: at least in Italy Italians get older, but quite no one in the world ages as healthily -and happily- as they do NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS FRANCESCA BEZZONE

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