The Reply

Abstract

I appreciate the comments of Drs. Qi, Qing, and Quinn in response to my article “Are we Ready to Practice Lifestyle Medicine?”1.Rippe J.M. Are We Ready to Practice Lifestyle Medicine?.Am J Med. 2019; 132: 6-8Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar These physicians emphasize and agree with the important benefits of positive lifestyle practices and habits on both long- and short-term health. The example that the authors cite in their letter to the editor, of the rural Chinese village of Fu Rong, where many residents live to ages exceeding 100 years with robust health, is consistent with examples from around the world reported in Dr. Dan Buettner’s studies, which resulted in the book Blue Zones.2.Buettner D. The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.2nd ed. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC2012Google Scholar Just as in Fu Rong, the examples cited by Buettner emphasize that longevity and good health are associated with regular physical activity (particularly walking), consuming a plant-based diet, and many other lifestyle measures, including positive connections with other people and sense of community. The contrast that the authors reported between Fu Rong and the large city of Wenzhou <40 miles away, where Western diets and decreased physical activity have contributed to an increase in Western diseases, is also consistent with previous reports. For example, Japanese individuals who move to the United States and largely abandon traditional Japanese nutrition and physical activity habits also experience substantial increases in Western-type diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Dr. Colin Campbell also reported similar findings in his classic studies of Chinese nutrition and other lifestyle habits3.Campbell C. Campbell T. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health.in: BenBella Books. 1st Edition. 2006Google Scholar. The authors’ letter also raises another important issue—namely, the value of how a lifelong approach to positive habits can help achieve and maintain good health. Indeed, in the third edition of my Lifestyle Medicine textbook, which will be published in April 2019,4.Rippe J.M. Lifestyle Medicine.3rd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla2019Google Scholar I have included an entire section devoted to positive lifestyle practices and habits in individuals over the age of 65 years. One of the chapters specifically relates to how lifestyle habits can contribute to “successful aging.” Finally, congratulations to Mrs. Chen and the many other residents of Fu Rong who have lived healthy lives past the age of 100! These individuals serve as a living testament to the power of positive lifestyle practices. This is what I hope we can bring to our patients in the United States through the emerging field of lifestyle medicine! Healthy at 100 Through Lifestyle MedicineThe American Journal of MedicineVol. 132Issue 8PreviewOur experience in China, contrasting recent changes in disease profiles in rural and urban environments, may further support Dr Rippe’s observations about “lifestyle medicine.”1 In the village of Fu Rong, many residents achieve the age of 100 years in robust health. The record is held by Mrs. Chen Ai Xiang at 116 years, though you do not get on the “scoreboard” until you attain 104 years. The village diet is largely dried fruit and vegetables, with some small fish from the fast-flowing Nanxi river; their bowel habit requires the squatting position (that prevents straining during defecation2,3); their work is largely agrarian, and their community exercise regimens promote good postures and gaits. Full-Text PDF