The difference between healthspan and lifespan

Healthspan is a term you may be hearing more often as people become familiar with the difference between healthspan vs lifespan.

If the term is new to you, healthspan refers to the number of years you are healthy and enjoy a good quality of life. That’s in contrast to lifespan, which is simply the number of years you are alive. In short, healthspan is about holistic healthy aging.

There are plenty of things you can do to support your healthspan, including concentrating on healthy habits like staying physically active and eating a diet rich in lean proteins, healthy fats and fruits and vegetables to provide your body with good vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

That shouldn’t be news to anyone, as that has been the mantra for good health for years. But a recent survey commissioned by Amway revealed that a surprising number of people have misperceptions about the best way to achieve those goals as well as generational differences in healthy habits.

Daily supplements

Many people turn to daily dietary supplements like protein powders, vitamins, minerals or botanicals as a convenient way to support their nutrition or fitness, especially since 90% of people don’t consume the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. Daily supplements can help fill nutrient gaps when people struggle to get the proper nutrition from food alone. They can provide immune support or aid in exercise performance and recovery. In fact, more than three-fourths of survey respondents said they take at least one supplement each day.

The survey also showed that a growing number of consumers are prioritizing sustainability when making purchasing decisions, including when choosing supplements. Two out of three respondents were more likely to buy daily supplements that are traceable, meaning the products can be traced from their source to the bottle in the consumer’s hand.

Supplement testing, regulation and the importance of traceability

But how do consumers know if those supplements have quality ingredients? How do they know what’s really in them? Turns out many people – nearly half of the survey respondents – wrongly believe that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves dietary supplements before they are sold to the public.

A key reason for this widespread misconception? Supplements are regulated differently from prescription medicines in the U.S. Under the rules, supplement companies themselves are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and accurately labeled and that any claims made are truthful and can be substantiated.

“Without FDA approval, consumers must rely on their own research to evaluate and identify trustworthy brands,” said Will Templeton, head of sustainability for Amway. That means they should look for companies that freely share their sustainability and traceability practices, so they know where the ingredients come from and how the supplements are made.

The role of gut health in overall health

Have you ever experienced minor, occasional issues with your gut health? If your answer is yes, then you align with the majority of people surveyed. Sixty-two percent reported experiencing issues with their gut health.

Your gut health is based on so much more than your digestion. Your gut is composed of your entire gastrointestinal system – from where food goes in to where waste comes out. And the collection of millions of bacteria that call your gut home is referred to as your gut microbiome or gut biome.

“Emerging science suggests our gut microbiome is connected to our overall wellbeing, impacting more than just digestion, such as weight maintenance, immune function and even our mood," said Paul Seehra, Ph.D., vice president of Global Nutrition and Research for Amway “Most adults in the US have experienced minor or occasional gut issues, yet less than half understand why or what constitutes a healthy gut microbiome, displaying a need for public education and awareness.” 

Habits are the foundation of healthspan

Healthy habits like getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are important to one’s overall health and wellbeing. But that doesn’t mean we are all following those healthy habits, and the survey confirms that.

Parents and caregivers in the survey overwhelmingly – 98% – feel it’s important for their children to develop healthy habits before they become adults. Among all adults in the survey, however, 57% who engaged in healthy lifestyle behaviors in the previous 12 months did so because of medical reasons, not as an established habit.

In fact, only 36% of those adults say they started their healthy lifestyle behaviors because they learned them at a young age from a parent or loved one – and not in response to a pressing health issue.

These insights underscore the need for a more proactive approach to developing healthy habits. Tips for making habits stick include setting realistic goals, removing obstacles that can prevent you from reaching them, practicing mindfulness and giving yourself grace as you struggle to keep going.

Using community to level-up your habits

Having a circle of family, friends and community that share your goals makes it much easier to maintain healthy habits long term, too.

Among respondents engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors within the past year, friends (28%) and social media (14%) were also key reasons cited for starting these habits.

Building a community of like-minded individuals can create an environment where knowledge is exchanged, accountability is encouraged, and a supportive network is woven into the fabric of daily life. Consider fitness programs, running clubs, accountability partners, or other avenues that provide a network with the common goal of supporting health and wellbeing.

Kids’ health: Building habits early in life

The survey showed that parents feel it’s important that their kids develop healthy habits, but a portion (26%) also feel negative emotions when they think about their child’s diet. It’s not easy to get kids to eat all the healthy foods they need to.

Parents and caregivers have a little more control over feeding toddlers and preschoolers, but that power and influence wanes each year, especially during the teen years. If only kids could have the wisdom of adults when it comes to what’s good for them.

When asked what they would tell their younger selves, the adult survey respondents had a lot of advice:

• 61% say they would tell their younger self to be consistent with a healthy daily routine.
• 57% would tell themselves to start a healthy lifestyle sooner.
• 62% of those between 35 to 70 years of age would encourage their younger selves to start sooner, versus only 47% of those aged 18 to 34.
• And 51% would emphasize the importance of educating themselves so they are impacting their overall health and wellbeing.

“While establishing healthy habits early is key, findings indicate that long-term habit formation often does not carry over into adulthood,” Nutrilite Principal Research Scientist and Registered Dietitian Holiday Durham Zanetti, Ph.D., said.

“Maintaining these behaviors can be difficult, but when you are within a circle of family, friends and community that share your goals, it makes it much easier to maintain healthy habits long term.”

To learn more about how healthy habits can affect your healthspan, please check out the Habits in Healthspan podcast from Amway.