Two aspects of your lifestyle can significantly affect how long you live: smoking and weight. Consider a white male, 60, 5 feet 10 inches tall, who is a university graduate and a moderate drinker with no serious health issues – except as shown at Level 5 in the table below. (We will look at outcomes for women in the coming weeks.) Obese smokers would be well beyond Level 5 in terms of diminished life expectancy. Factors such as exercise, diet and alcohol intake appear to have only a minor impact on life expectancy but likely a major impact on quality of life. Note the average life expectancy across the entire male population is close to Level 2 in the chart.
How does your lifestyle affect your life expectancy?
Life expectancy for a male aged 60
89 years
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80
79
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Males who weigh 175 lbs.
Lifestyle
Males who never smoked
Never smoked
Level 1
Weighs 175 lbs.
Former smoker (until age 35)
Level 2
Weighs 200 lbs.
Former smoker (now casual)
Level 3
Weighs 225 lbs.
Still smokes
Level 4
Weighs 250 lbs.
Still smokes (and developed
COPD)
Level 5
Weighs 250 lbs. and has
type 2 diabetes
the globe and mail, source: Calculations using the calculator found
at projectbiglife.ca. Assume 20 cigarettes a day for regular smokers
since age 18, but just 3 a day for casual smokers; frederick vettese
How does your lifestyle affect your life expectancy?
Life expectancy for a male aged 60
89 years
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80
79
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Males who weigh 175 lbs.
Lifestyle
Males who never smoked
Never smoked
Level 1
Weighs 175 lbs.
Former smoker (until age 35)
Level 2
Weighs 200 lbs.
Former smoker (now casual)
Level 3
Weighs 225 lbs.
Still smokes
Level 4
Weighs 250 lbs.
Still smokes (and developed
COPD)
Level 5
Weighs 250 lbs. and has
type 2 diabetes
the globe and mail, source: Calculations using the calculator found
at projectbiglife.ca. Assume 20 cigarettes a day for regular smokers
since age 18, but just 3 a day for casual smokers; frederick vettese
How does your lifestyle affect your life expectancy?
Life expectancy for a male aged 60
89 years
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80
79
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Males who weigh 175 lbs.
Lifestyle
Males who never smoked
Never smoked
Level 1
Weighs 175 lbs.
Former smoker (until age 35)
Level 2
Weighs 200 lbs.
Former smoker (now casual)
Level 3
Weighs 225 lbs.
Still smokes
Level 4
Weighs 250 lbs.
Still smokes (and developed COPD)
Level 5
Weighs 250 lbs. and has type 2 diabetes
the globe and mail, source: Calculations using the calculator found at projectbiglife.ca.
Assume 20 cigarettes a day for regular smokers since age 18, but just 3 a day for casual
smokers; frederick vettese
Here's how long Canadian men can expect to live in retirement
Here’s how long Canadian women can expect to live in retirement
Frederick Vettese is a former chief actuary of Morneau Shepell and the author of Retirement Income for Life.