Daily writing prompt

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

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When I was born in 1968, I could only expect to live up to 47 years, the life expectancy of females in Uganda in 1969. For males in Uganda, in 1969 their life expectancy was 46 years; and so, the average life expectancy for Uganda in 1969 was 46.5 years.

Now, 55 years later, at nearly 56 years of age, I can expect to live up to 70.1 years, the life expectancy for females in Uganda in 2024, according to the results of the most recent population census. For males in Uganda, there life expectancy is 66.9 years; and so, the average life expectancy for Uganda in 2024 is 68.2 years.

However, the region of my people, the Iteso, in North-Eastern Uganda, has the highest life expectancy of 77.1 years, according to the 2024 population census results. And so, if genetics is a significant determinant of life expectancy, I can expect to live up to 77.1 years.

What is Teso, the geography, doing right so that people in its region attain longevity – live longer than the average life expectancy of Uganda? Certainly, this is an important area of study in context of the current debates on food systems transformations.

A major determinant of longevity is diets and food consumed. An interesting comparative study I would be interested in doing is to establishe what food is more prevalently consumed in Teso current and in the regions in Uganda with the lowest life expectancy – Tooro (66 years), Ankole (66.7 years) and Bunyoro (67 years).

Source: Uganda Bureau of Statistics

Particularly so, considering that traditionally, the staple food for Teso, Tooro, Ankole and Bunyoro is millet. It would be interesting to learn the extent to which millet is consumed in the four regions and if it could be inferred as a proxy indicator for longevity.

Longevity is when one “lives longer than the average life expectancy for a given species,” and this is what the concept of living a very long life means.

Whereas, the life expectancy for Uganda isn’t the highest in the world, I would love to attain longevity by Ugandan standards; and even better by world standards. Live longer than 87.1 years, for example, as is the life expectancy of women in Japan.

Generally, my thoughts on the concept of living a very long life are positive. I would love to live a long heathy and happy life; and I would wish the same for others. A life such as, I assume, the 39^th President of the United States of America, James Earl Carter Jr., lived for 100 years (1924 to 2024).