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This tiny island has been a special case, even in healthy Japan. Until recently, when their lifestyle began to modernize, the people of Okinawa lived longer than anyone else in the world. There were more than 800 centenarians living on the island and diseases like cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure were rare. Senior citizens continued to fish and farm, seemingly immune to the effects of old age.

According to Seven Network in Australia, “the Okinawans ate a lot of water-rich foods and sweet potatoes and other vegetables and they ate a lot of salad as well and when they ate meat, it was boiled and the fat was scooped away.”

“They were physically active, hence they were in energy balance, they were lean all their lives, those centenarians, they didn’t smoke, they drank in moderation, they had good social networks and social support, they got better health care.”

It is likely important, too, that Okinawans have a healthy attitude about aging; the aged are proud and respected.

Today, Okinawans are beginning to abandon their traditional healthy behaviors, and their societal heath statistics are declining.