Family Ties, Healthy Habits Give Latinos Longer Lives

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Researchers say Mexican immigrants who exercise regularly, eat wholesome foods and live in tight-knit communities illustrate why Latinos live longer on average than non-Hispanic whites and blacks, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

That lifestyle may extend their lifespan, according to a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released last month. It found Latinos in the U.S. live on average 80.6 years, compared with 78.1 years for non-Hispanic whites and 72.9 for non-Hispanic blacks.

Experts call it the “Latino health paradox.” People usually live longer if they have high incomes, high education levels and greater access to health care. Latinos are on average poorer, less educated and less likely to visit doctors than most Americans — yet they live longer.

The CDC report — the first to examine Hispanic life expectancy in the U.S. — confirmed what researchers have been saying since the mid-1980s. Hispanics have lower rates of disease, including cancer, stroke and heart disease, the three leading causes of death in the U.S.

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