Page 273 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

TRUE OR FALSE? 271
Your ears and The hippocampus (the area of the What did THE AVERAGE HUMAN
brain that helps store memories)
FAST FACTS
may function less effectively,
so elderly people can become
nose keep growing more forgetful and confused. long earlobes LIFE EXPECTANCY HAS
DOUBLED
mean to the
ancient
as you age Chinese? IN THE LAST 200 YEARS
90
In 2013 average
80
life expectancy in
Hong Kong, Japan, 70 83
60
and Switzerland
topped the charts YEARS 50
at 83 years. At the 40
bottom, however, is 30 45
Sierra Leone, where 20
life expectancy is 10
just 45 years.
LIFE EXPECTANCY IS
INFLUENCED BY 70%
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS AND 30%
GENETICS 30%
Genetics
There is a lot that you can
do to influence how long
you will live. It is well known
that people who smoke, eat
foods high in cholesterol,
don’t exercise enough,
and lead stressful
lives will most 70%
probably die younger. Environmental

Osteoporosis—a disease that
makes bones less dense and more
fragile—is common in the elderly,
with 8.9 million fractures annually.
That’s one every three seconds.

Aches and pains in the joints
build up over time, but gentle
stretching and walking can
relieve discomfort.

US_270_271_309600_Aging.indd 271 19/12/17 3:49 pm