沖縄の長寿とその低下の理由 Longevity in Okinawa and the reasons for its decline
沖縄はかつて長寿日本一と賞賛されていました。（写真）
そして、1985年には平均寿命が世界1位となり、世界長寿地域宣言を発表しました。
このためか（？）、ブルーゾーン（写真）という本では世界の100歳長寿者の多い5つの地域の一つとして紹介されています。この本では長寿の秘訣は生活習慣、食事などいくつか列記されています。ただ、沖縄の場合は、戦後から1997年まで続いた離島駐在の100名以上の女性公衆衛生看護師の誠実で献身的な地域医療貢献があったということを、先日放送されたNHKテレビ「新プロジェクトクトＸ、命の離島へ 母たちの果てなき戦い」で再認識しました。（番組内容は録画保存しています。）
戦後の壊滅的な公衆衛生状態、医師不足の中でこれらの公衆衛生看護婦の沖縄の女性たちが保健婦、助産師、看護婦として懸命に働き、多くの感染病患者や幼い命を救った姿を、同世代だった私の母親（看護婦、助産師）と重ねて番組を見ました。（母も当時、保健婦として働くように勧められたようですが、私たち3人の子供の子育てで忙しく、保健婦の仕事はできなかったようです。）
しかし、現在では沖縄の平均寿命が徐々に短くなってきています。（写真）
主な原因として、急激な米国型食習慣の普及、および一世帯に3台ともいわれる自動車生活の浸透（運動不足）による肥満症や糖尿病の激増が挙げられています。
Okinawa was once praised as having the highest longevity in Japan. (Photo)
Then, in 1985, Okinawa ranked first in the world in average life expectancy and announced its declaration as the world's longest-living region.
Perhaps because of this (?), in the book "Blue Zones" (photo), Okinawa is introduced as one of the five regions in the world with the highest number of people living to be 100 years old. The book lists several secrets to longevity, including lifestyle and diet.
However, in the case of Okinawa, I was reminded of the sincere and dedicated contribution to community health care by more than 100 female public health nurses stationed on remote islands from the postwar period until 1997 to save many infectious disease patients and newly born babies, in the NHK TV program "New Project X, To the Remote Islands of Life: Mothers' Endless Battle" that was broadcast the other day. (The program was recorded and saved.)
I watched the program and saw the Okinawan women working very hard as public health nurses, midwives, and nurses in the midst of the devastating postwar public health situation and severe doctor shortage, overlapping with my own mother (a nurse and midwife) who was of the same generation. ( My mother was also encouraged to work as a public health nurse at the time, but she was busy raising us three children and could not work as a public health nurse.)
But now, the average life expectancy in Okinawa has gradually been shortened. (Photo)
The main causes are the rapid spread of American eating habits and the dramatic increase in obesity and diabetes due to the prevalence of automobile lifestyles (lack of exercise), which is said to be three cars per household.
