SPANIARDS SET TO LIVE LONGEST

A new survey conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle found the Spanish can look forward to the longest life expectancy in the world by 2040. IMHE director Christopher Murray says that the Mediterranean diet – which is high in olive oil, fresh fish and a broad selection of vegetables, has long been acknowledged as being an important factor in longevity. According to the study, Spain is set to kick Japan out of the top spot by a whisker with an average of 85.8 years in the next two decades; the survey predicts Japanese people, who are known to avoid eating excess calories, will live to an average age of 85.7 years by 2040.