According to the data of the Netherlands Statistical Institute (CBS), the number of people over the age of 100 in the country has increased by about 20 percent compared to 5 years ago.
Studies show that the increase in the number of people over the age of 100 will continue in the coming years. Women make up the majority of people aged 100 and over.
According to experts, increasing human age is related to lifestyle and social opportunities rather than genetic reasons.
5 years ago in the Netherlands the number of people over the age of 100 was around 400. According to a study conducted earlier this year, that number has reached 2,600. In 2030, the number of people over the age of 100 is expected to approach 4,000.
So why does this occur?
Dutch advanced age medicine expert from the University of Copenhagen, Prof. Dr. Rudi Westendorp, in his evaluation to RTL Haber, attributes the prolongation of human life to the improvement of living conditions.
According to Westendorp, many aspects such as nutrition, hygiene and health services are much better than in the past. This causes people to live more comfortably and age.
Underlining that the current life is very good in every way when compared to his grandparents, Westendorp says, “If your heart valve fails today at the age of 80, a new one will be inserted. 25 years ago this was completely impossible.”
According to Westendorp, the tip to aging happily and healthily is to always look ahead. Rudi Westendorp, who says “Because life is forward”, emphasizes that even if one reaches 100 years old, one should continue to look to the future.
Aging biologist Prof. from the Leiden University School of Medicine in the Netherlands. Dr. Eline Slaagboom also points out that living 70 – 80 years is not hereditary.
According to the Dutch biologist, this is largely determined by factors that affect quality of life such as a person’s education, income, whether they get enough exercise and their food choices.
Explaining that it is difficult but possible for a person to reach 100 years old alone, Slaagboom says:
“Since life takes so long, every week you have the opportunity to make new good choices that will contribute to a long and healthy life. In any case, maintaining a social network after your 80th birthday is paramount.”
Currently the oldest person in the Netherlands is a 110-year-old woman named Ebeltje Boekema-Hut.
But as long as living conditions continue to improve, will human lifespan continue? Will people be able to see 120, 130 years old?
prof. Dr. Eline Slaagboom doesn’t take it too far. Slaagboom, who researches historical and genetic data on long age, says, “Life harms the body. Despite all the developments in nutrition, hygiene and health in the last 200 years, even people who belong to families with genetically long lives cannot exceed 115 years old.”
In the Netherlands, women live longer on average than men. 8 out of 10 people over the age of 100 in the country are women. The oldest person in the Netherlands, Anne Brasz-Later, who died on May 15 last year, was 114 years old.
However, in recent years, it is stated that there has been a significant increase in the number of people over the age of 100 among men.