Doctors to reveal secrets of longest living healthiest people in the world at Zest for Life Show

22nd March 2002 - Irish people could cut heart disease by 80%, dramatically lower stroke rates, reduce cancers by one third and add eight to ten healthy years to their lives if they adopted the lifestyle practices of Okinawa, Japan home of the world's longest living, healthiest people.

That was the message from Doctors Bradley & Craig Willcox who were in Dublin today for the announcement of the Zest for Life show which will take place in the RDS on April 27.

Canadian born identical twins, the Willcox brothers are co-authors with Makoto Suzuki MD PhD of 'The Okinawa Way' a US bestseller based on a 25 year study of the centenarians of Okinawa, a Japanese Pacific Island State. They will be the keynote presenters at Zest for Life.

" Human beings have been searching for an elixir of youth throughout recorded time - and it appears that the people of Okinawa have found it. They seem to have beaten the ageing process and the debilitating diseases that go with it. The three leading killers in Ireland - coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer occur in Okinawa with the lowest frequency in the world. That is why Vhi Healthcare is hosting the Zest for Life event to bring this fascinating information to our members and the greater public," said Vhi Healthcare chief executive, Vincent Sheridan.

Speaking at a lunch in Dublin today, Dr Bradley Willcox MD MS. Internal Medicine physician and Geriatrics Fellow, Division on Ageing, Harvard Medical School said:

"Okinawans are living in sync with findings of leading gerontologists who tell us we were built to last about 100 years. They have 80% lower risk of breast and prostate cancers, 50% lower risk of colon and ovarian cancers, 40% fewer hip fractures, minimal risk of heart disease and low levels of stroke and dementia affects about 15% of Okinawans by age 90 years compared to about 22% of Europeans."

Craig Willcox Ph.D M.H.S. Medical Anthropologist and Social Gerontologist, Asst. Professor, College of Nursing, Okinawa Prefectural University said:

"People who adopt the lifestyle practices of the Okinawan centenarians will add healthy years to their lives. The Okinawans have the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world - 97% of total life expectancy."

Zest for Life, a seated show, will take place in the RDS on Saturday April 27 from 10am to 2pm. Tickets €22 available from Ticketmaster. Further information available at www.vhi.ie.

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