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Video length: 2 mins
Health: the secret of centenarians
Once rare, hundreds are becoming more and more numerous in France, with even the emergence of a new age group, the “supercentenarians”, who are over 110 years old.
Born just before the First World War, Solange Demorgny has known 18 heads of state. She has just celebrated her 111th birthday. Always with a smile. The secret to its longevity remains a mystery. She devoted her life to her five children. Three years ago, at 108 years old, she was still living in her house. And his greatest pride, his flexibility. The number of centenarians in France continues to increase, it was only around a hundred in the 1970s. There are 31,000 today and their proportion is eight times greater in the Antilles than in mainland France.
Active people
With a good diet, a healthy lifestyle, and the seaside climate, the reasons to explain their longevity are the most obvious, but they are not the only ones. Sociability also plays a role. “These are people who, whatever their age, remain active. They are therefore not sedentary. They are people who are perfectly integrated into their community. This means that even at 94 years old, they will continue to work and finally they are in situations where stress is not at all predominant”explains a doctor.
