Japan’s Okinawa loses longevity crown as slow living makes way for faster, shorter future

A generation ago, the people of Okinawa in Japan were recognised as among the longest-lived in the world, fortunate residents of one of just five “blue zones” around the planet where a combination of healthy diet, lifestyle and positive attitude enabled them to live to a ripe old age. Today, that longevity has been turned on its head. Life expectancy for both Okinawan men and women is expected to tumble again when the results of a new study, conducted every five years, are released in the coming...