With the climbing season underway, trekking experts at the travel platform MagicalNepal.com have analysed global health data to find the world’s fittest countries.
Their study analysed 11 factors that contribute to a person’s overall fitness and ability to take on challenges that push the body to its limits. These range from life expectancy and alcohol consumption to smoking, disease, and mortality rates. (On the subject of surveys, find out which are the safest cities in the world for travellers!)
As it turns out, Japan is the healthiest country in the world. Indeed, it’s famous for its active population: 80% of Japan’s landmass is covered by mountains including Mount Fuji, popular among experienced and novice climbers alike.
The land of the rising sun has the longest global life expectancy at 84.8 years, while the diet of its residents – usually rich in fish, vegetables and rice – contributes to longer and healthier lives.
Coupled with low alcohol consumption (6.68 litres annually on average), this might explain the low percentage of obesity at only 5.63%.
Interestingly, Singapore ranks as the second-fittest country. Like Japan, regular exercise is encouraged, and many people tend to walk from one location to another.
Only 15% of the adult population is obese, while tobacco use is heavily regulated, which could be a factor in the low rate of deaths caused by smoking (11%). Singapore also has some of the lowest alcohol consumption at only 1.87 litres annually.
Coming in third place is Switzerland: home to the Alps and the Matterhorn, hiking and skiing are key physical activities that allow people there to stay active. This could explain the low levels of adults who are inactive (23.7%), which correlates with lower levels of obesity (12.5%).
Life expectancy in Switzerland is 84 years – the second-highest in the world, only behind Japan.
France is the fourth-fittest nation: deaths by cardiovascular disease are low at only 91 out of 100,000 of the population, way below the global average of 295 deaths.
Mortality from respiratory disease is also low at 12 per 100,000, versus the global average of 42 deaths; while diabetes prevalence, too, is low at 6.1%.
And in fifth place is Norway, whose residents enjoy activities such as hiking, skiing and fishing. Their diet, rich in fish and whole grains, enhances health, with only 6% of deaths linked to obesity, much lower than the average of 11.7% across other countries.
This also correlates with lower alcohol consumption, with the average being 6.8 litres per year. Furthermore, clean environments are apparently key to a better quality of life, with only seven deaths per 100,000 here linked to air pollution, way below the global average of 35.9.
Coming in 6th-10th place on the survey are Finland, Sweden, Peru, South Korea and Iceland, respectively.
The data suggests that lifestyle choices such as healthier diets, engaging in physical activity, and reducing alcohol intake could reduce health issues such as obesity and related conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.