Longevity diet unveiled: Here's what you should be eating, new study says

New diet score reveals foods that help you live longer

Los Angeles: According to new research, eating more foods that are good for the environment may help you live a longer, healthier life. In a study with a follow up of more than 30 years, researchers discovered that those who ate more sustainably were 25 per cent less likely to pass away than those who didn't.The research expands on earlier studies that identified foods that are beneficial to both human health and the environment, such as whole grains, fruit, non starchy vegetables, nuts, and unsaturated oils, as well as foods that may be detrimental to both, such as eggs and red and processed meats. According to the latest research, consuming more healthful meals may lower one's risk of dying from conditions including cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and neurological disorders. 

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“We proposed a new diet score that incorporates the best current scientific evidence of food effects on both health and the environment,” said Linh Bui, MD, a PhD candidate in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “The results confirmed our hypothesis that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of mortality.” Bui will present the findings at NUTRITION 2023, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 22,25 in Boston.

The Business of Manufacturing Snack Foods Before the “Big Game”

Tailgaters Rejoice! Census Bureau Has Data on Snack Food Manufacturers, Sales of Popular Snacks

When our thoughts turn to the “Big Game” or the championship game of the National Football League, we think food especially of the snack variety. Whether we gather around a big-screen TV at home or enjoy a pre-game tailgate party in the stadium’s parking lot, it’s all about the food: chips, popcorn, pretzels, dip, crackers and the like are “Big Game” staples. How much do we love our snacks around this time of year? The U.S. Census Bureau serves up plenty of data providing a glimpse into our passion for snacks. 

We Love Our Snacks Snack

                     food manufacturing consists of establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: Salting, roasting, drying, cooking or canning nuts. Processing grains or seeds into snacks. Manufacturing peanut butter. Manufacturing potato chips, corn chips, popped popcorn, pretzels (except soft), pork rinds and similar snacks.

How much do we love our snacks around this time of year? The U.S. Census Bureau serves up plenty of data providing a glimpse into our passion for snacks.

 

Opportunities for Marriage, Partnership Shape Women’s Family Incomes

White Women More Likely Than Black Women to Move Up Income Ladder Due to Differences in Partnering, Men’s Incomes

White women were not only more likely than Black women to have a spouse or partner but their spouses and partners tended to earn more, making White women more likely to attain upward mobility through partnerships, according to new U.S. Census Bureau research. White women who grew up in families in the bottom 20% income bracket were more likely than Black women from the same economic background to move out of the bottom bracket up to the top 20% income bracket.

No matter their childhood family income, White and Asian women were more likely than women from other race/ethnic groups to have access to more income as adults because they were more likely to have a partner and that partner was more likely to be affluent.

But this wasn’t because of differences in personal income since Black and White women from similar economic backgrounds had similar personal incomes. It was because White women had access to more income from spouses and unmarried partners, according to the study exploring how marriage and partnerships affect a woman’s chances of being better off economically than their parents. 

Measuring Family Income in Adulthood and Childhood

Researchers analyzed a sample of adults who responded to the American Community Survey (ACS) between 2011 and 2019. The sample included women ages 28 to 32 and men ages 31 to 35 (since women tend to partner with slightly older men). They focused on Black and White women but also examined some outcomes for women and men from other racial and ethnic groups. The study classified people as Black, White, Asian or American Indian/Alaska Native if they identified as that race only and did not identify as Hispanic. It classified people as Hispanic if they identified as Hispanic, regardless of their race. A person’s adulthood family income is their personal income and, if they live with a spouse or unmarried partner, the income of their partner. (Due to data limitations, this analysis was limited to different couples.)

National Marriage and Divorce Rates Declined From 2011 to 2021

Both the marriage and divorce rates of U.S. women age 15 and older declined from 2011 to 2021. In 2021, the U.S. marriage rate was 14.9 marriages in the last year per 1,000 women, down from 16.3 a decade earlier. And the 2021 divorce rate dropped to 6.9 in the last year from 9.7 divorces per 1,000 women in 2011. But the rates varied by state during both time periods. 

Alaska and Utah had among the highest marriage rates, at 23.5 and 22.3, respectively.

Now, an updated U.S. Census Bureau visualization allows you to rank and compare divorce and marriage rates in your state to those in other states and the nation. Using data from the 2011 and 2021 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, it provides a state by state look at marriage and divorce rates per 1,000 women age 15 and older. Please note that not all differences in state marriage and divorce rates are statistically significant. While the U.S. Census Bureau publishes estimates for both men and women, we have restricted this visualization to data for women to provide a digestible look at trends in marriage and divorce. Historically, women’s data have often been presented when a choice needs to be made. Previous research PDF 2.3 MB found that women more often report data for themselves and report their marital history more accurately. According to the data, in 2021.

• Alaska and Utah had among the highest marriage rates, at 23.5 and 22.3, respectively. These rates, however, do not significantly differ from each other. 
• Puerto Rico had among the lowest marriage and divorce rates. Its marriage rate was 4.7 and its divorce rate 3.9. Puerto Rico’s low marriage and divorce rates likely resulted, at least in part from the high outmigration of its young adult population, especially after Hurricane Maria.
• Massachusetts had a marriage rate of 11.8, also among the nation’s lowest. 
• Idaho and Arkansas had among the highest divorce rates, at 11.1 and 11.0, respectively (not a statistically significant difference). 
• New Hampshire had a divorce rate of 4.3, among the lowest in the nation.

 

National Health Center Week

“Health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that provide affordable, accessible, high-quality primary health care services to individuals and families, including people experiencing homelessness, agricultural workers, residents of public housing, and veterans. “Health centers integrate access to pharmacy, mental health, substance use disorder, and oral health services in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to affordable health care. Health centers reduce health disparities by emphasizing coordinated care management of patients with multiple health care needs and the use of key quality improvement practices, including health information technology.” From The American Presidency Project: Proclamation 10428 National Health Center Week, 2022:

 “Over half a century ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson piloted a program to deliver affordable primary health care to Americans who needed it most. He helped establish community health centers in undeserved areas, making medical services accessible to people irrespective of their age, geography, or economic status. President Johnson's philosophy was simple: in a "Great Society," no one is left behind. Today, that ideal lives on. Health centers provide quality medical, dental, and behavioral health care services to more than 30 million Americans each year, and they remain a cornerstone of our public health system. During National Health Center Week, we celebrate the vital role these health centers play in safeguarding the well-being of Americans and honor the heroic staff who keep these facilities running.”