Why do Hong Kong people really seem so young? Not to mention TVB stars, but my Hong Kong friends really appear much younger than their peers. Data shows: 👨 Average age for males is 82 years old 👩 Average age for females is 88 years old.
As a mainland Chinese person living in Hong Kong, surrounded by a bunch of Hong Kong friends 🇭🇰, I will share my feelings about living in Hong Kong in plain language, and also give everyone some thoughts on health and longevity.
1️⃣ The diet is light, but that’s not all. Because many coastal areas in mainland China also have a light diet, so why do Hong Kong people live on average 7-8 years longer? The answer is definitely not as simple as 'less oil and less salt.'
2️⃣ Food is more reassuring; the food in Hong Kong is basically all imported, and the prices are high. Conversely, food safety control is very strict. Eating at restaurants in Hong Kong, food safety is very reassuring.
Mainland China is vast and rich in resources, but if you want to eat healthily in the long term, you do need to be more selective. Personally, I think each place has its advantages, but Hong Kong is definitely more worry-free.
3️⃣ The smoking rate is low, and there is really little secondhand smoke. You can clearly feel this on the streets; there are certainly people who smoke in Hong Kong, but the proportion is much less than in mainland China.
4️⃣ Personal health awareness is really strong (I think this is key). Many Hong Kong people love to exercise and are concerned about their body shape. Taking health supplements is a daily routine, starting to take them in their 20s is not surprising at all, and health supplements can be found everywhere on the streets, many of which are imported from Japan and Europe and America.
Many of my Hong Kong friends: take hangover pills before drinking, regularly supplement with health products; their belief is that this is not 'health preservation,' but a very normal lifestyle habit.
5️⃣ Medical care: Hong Kong has universal medical coverage: public hospital costs are manageable for ordinary families, and the medical level in public hospitals is high. The downside is that the waiting time is really very long. Wealthy families go to private hospitals. But overall, if you get sick, you can get treated.
6️⃣ Generally high hygiene standards; if you visit a friend's house in Hong Kong, you will find that the house may not be big or may be very small 😂, but it is really clean and easy to clean. Everyone who has been to public toilets in Hong Kong should have experienced this; the overall hygiene level is very good.
7️⃣ The air quality is relatively better; Hong Kong basically has no industry or factories, and the overall air quality is definitely better than Shenzhen. When I took my friends to Shenzhen, they joked with me: 'The air here is not very good,' and I just smiled awkwardly 😅 because I have already gotten used to it.
8️⃣ There are really many people who do not marry or have children. Many men and women over 35 in Hong Kong are unmarried, and many do not have children. Due to high expenses, the need to change to larger houses, and other social reasons, many young people in Hong Kong earn their own money and spend it on themselves. A classic example: Carina Lau & Tony Leung.
Everyone surely knows the significant impact that women's childbearing has on the speed of aging.
So, thank you all for watching until here. In fact, Hong Kong is a city with a high cost of living and great pressure, but perhaps because of this, people are more likely to cherish their lives. After all, it’s not easy to pay off a house; who wouldn’t want to live a few more years? 😂 Indeed, many people choose to live in Shenzhen / Zhongshan / Zhuhai when they get older.
The above is just my personal feeling after living in Hong Kong; I haven’t made any comparisons or judgments.
What other reasons do you think there are? I hope to communicate with everyone!
Finally, welcome to visit Hong Kong, China 🇭🇰! You can ask me about good restaurants! Happy to share~ 🙌