>Several factors go into making Japan number one in the rankings. One
>is the low rate of heart disease, associated with the traditional low
>fat diet. The national diet is changing, with high fat foods such as
>red meat becoming common. The effect of tobacco has also been mild
>until recently, with low lung cancer rates. These rates for men are
>expected to jump in coming years as the long-term effects of the
>post- World War II smoking popularity begins.

Hi Justin - from experience I would have to look favorably to the
suggestion of lower average caloric intake as a possible factor of
longer life expectancy in Okinawa versus the main islanders ( a
cleaner more pleasant environment, reduced stress could be others).
The Japanese generally consume smaller meal portions than what
prairie boys like myself scarf down.

Also, it would be interesting to compare the US and Japan for rates
of stomach cancer. I suspect, with the traditional Japanese diet
chock full of salted, fermented food items (miso, pickles, etc), that
there are fewer per capita North Americans suffering from this form
of cancer.

Several years ago, it seemed there was general acceptance in Japan
about the introduction of milk to the diet as a possible factor in
the increased average height of teenage boys. Milk is largely given
credit because cheese is not popular there.

And if I'm not mistaken, the percentage of male smokers in Japan has
declined slightly during the past twenty years but this is tempered
by the number of new female smokers during the last ten (thank you RJ
Reynolds). All in all, though, I'd be very surprised if the lung
cancer rate for men is lower than that of North America.

Cheers,
Jo