This exercise is based on data from a variety of sources. It is designed to help you conceptualize and individualize the major factors involved in determining probable length of life and hopefully, to offer suggestions for lifestyle changes that might extend life. Print out the page and complete the exercise using the directions provided for each section.

1. Year of Birth
 

Enter your Life Expectancy based on the year you were born.

2. Present Age
 

Enter the years added to your life expectancy:

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

3. Physical Fitness and Sports

If you do not exercise regularly or play an active sport, subtract 3 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

High-Risk Sports

If you engage in the following sports 6 or more times a year, deduct the indicated number of years.

Hang gliding  - 2 years Free climbing - 2 years Deep scuba diving - 1 year Dirt bike or three-wheeler - 1 year Jetskiing - 6 months (0.5 years)

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

4. Your Shape

Deduct 1 year for every 10 pounds you are overweight and overfat. For each inch your abdominal girth measurement exceeds your chest measurement, deduct 2 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

5. Medical Checkup

Regular Checkups (every 2 or 3 years) add 1 year
No checkup in last 4 years subtract 1 year
Never had checkup subtract 2 years

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

6. Medical Condition

Blood Pressure

Subtract 1/2 year (0.5 years) for each 10 mm above 130 resting systolic.
Subtract 1 year for each 5 mm above 85 diastolic.
Subtract 3 months (0.25 years) if you do not know your blood pressure reading.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Cholesterol

125-175 add 2 years
200-250 mg % or don't know subtract 1 year
251-300 subtract 2 years
301-400 subtract 4 years
401 + subtract 6 years

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

HDL Cholesterol

More than 50 add 1 year
Less than 40 subtract 2 years
Don't know subtract 6 months (0.5 years)

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.  

7. Nutrition and Diet

If you never eat breakfast or eat an irregular diet, subtract 1 year.

If you are preoccupied with being slim to the point of having difficulty eating normally or feeling compelled to vomit after eating, subtract 3 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

If you eat a regular well-balanced diet low in animal fats, salt, and refined sugar, moderate in protein, and rich in fiber, add 2 years.

If you follow a careful vegetarian diet, low in salt, fat, and high in fiber, add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

8. Sleep

If you get less than 6 hours sleep per day, more than 9 hours sleep per day, or have an irregular sleep schedule, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

9. Alcohol

Heavy drinker (4 drinks daily) subtract 5 years
Very heavy drinker (5 + drinks daily) subtract 10 years
2 or fewer drinks daily add 1 year

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

10. Smoking

1/2 to 1 pack per day subtract 3 years
1 to 1 1/2 packs per day subtract 5 years
1 1/2 to 2 packs per day subtract 10 years
Pipe or cigar subtract 2 years
Use smokeless tobacco once a week or more subtract 2 years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

11. Other Drugs

Prescription and Nonprescription Medical Drugs
Frequency

If you take 20 doses (separate takings; i.e., 1 pill, 1 tablespoon, etc.) or less per year, add 1 year.
If you take 100-400 doses per year, subtract 1 year.
If you take more than 400 doses per year, subtract 2 years.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is

Variety

If you take an average of three or more different drugs each week, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

Recreational Drugs

If you use marijuana, downers, or uppers:

25 to 100 times per year, subtract 1 year
over 100 times per year, subtract 2 years

If you use cocaine, crack, or PCP 25 or more times per year, subtract 5 years.
If you use opiates such as heroin, codeine, and morphine daily, subtract 10 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

12. Marital Status

If you are married, add 5 years. If happily single, add nothing, subtract nothing.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

If you are over 25 and unhappily single, or unhappily married, deduct 1 year for every unhappy decade.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

13. Sexual Activity (AIDS Risk)

If you share an exclusive monogamous relationship, add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

If you engage in heterosexual vaginal intercourse with 5 or more partners per year, subtract 3 years.

If you engage in anal intercourse with 3 or more partners per year, subtract 3 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

14. Occupation (or most like)

Clergyman add 4 years
Teacher add 3 years
Nurse add 3 years
Lawyer add 3 years
Clerk add 2 years
Physician add 1 or 2 years
Farmer add 2 years
Miner or Quarryman subtract 8 years
Construction subtract 4 years
If happy in your work add 1 year
If unhappy in your work subtract 1 year

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

15. Where You Live

Small town, add 2 years    City, subtract 1 year         Suburb, 0 years

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

16. Economic Status

If you have been poor for the greater part of your life, subtract 3 years.
If you have been wealthy for the greater part of your life, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

17. Transportation

If you drive or ride less than 10,000 miles annually, mostly in full sized cars or on public transportation, add 1 year.
If you always wear a seat belt, add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

If you drive or ride in a compact car up to 15,000 miles yearly, subtract 1 year.
If you drive or ride 15,000 miles or more yearly in a compact car subtract 2 years.
If you never wear a seat belt, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

If you ride a bicycle or motorcycle in traffic regularly, subtract 3 years.
If you ride a bicycle or motorcycle without a helmet, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

18. Family Background

If two or more of your grandparents or parents died before age 65 of causes other than accident of infectious disease, subtract 2 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

If three or four grandparents lived to age 80, add 2 years.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

19. Stress and Relaxation

If you have not had stress management training and do not practice stress management skills, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

If you engage in daily relaxation (pleasure reading, TV, music, hobby meditation, etc.), add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

20. Worry

Subtract 6 months (0.5 years) for each 1/2 hour that you worry on an average day.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

21. Mood

If you feel content, positive and hopeful 90% or more of the time, add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

If you feel content, positive and hopeful about half of the time, subtract 1 year.
If you seldom or never feel content, positive, or hopeful, subtract 2 years.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

22. Personality

If you are driven, impatient, compulsive, or quick to anger, subtract 2 years.
If you are relaxed, patient, tolerant, and easy going, add 1 year.
If you are usually between the above extremes, add 0.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy: years

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy: years

Your new Total Life Expectancy is years.

23. Love and Self-worth

If you receive no affectionate hugs, kisses, touches, words, or other gestures on a daily basis, subtract 2 years.
If you generally feel inadequate or unworthy, subtract 1 year.

Enter the years subtracted from your life expectancy:  years

If you receive 3 or more affectionate hugs, kisses, touches, words, or other gestures on a daily basis, add 1 year.
If you generally feel adequate and worthy, add 1 year.

Enter the years added to your life expectancy:  years

YOUR ESTIMATED LIFE EXPECTANCY IS    YEARS.

Class Assignment - All form elements are required!

Look over your responses and answer the following questions.

24.  In what uncontrollable areas did you subtract time? In what controllable areas did you subtract time?

Uncontrollable Areas:

Controllable Areas:

25.  What can you do to increase your potential life expectancy?

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