OTTAWA - If you want to outlive your fellow Canadians, maybe you should start packing for Prince Edward Island.
According to Statistics Canada figures for 2005, residents of the island province lived the longest in Canada -- to an average age of 75.6 years.
And while it helps to be female, the gap in survival rates between men and women across Canada is narrowing as life expectancy increases.
The agency reported Monday that from 1990 to 2005, the average age at death rose 3.5 years for men, to 71.1 years and by 3.2 years for women, to 77.4 years.
The national average age at death was 74.2 years.
In sharp contrast to P.E.I., residents of Nunavut lived to just 47.8 on average.
Aging expert Neena Chappell of the University of Victoria said the low life expectancy in Nunavut is due to a multitude of factors, including its harsh climate, limited access to healthy nutrition, and high rates of poverty.
"These communities are living in conditions that are, in fact, somewhat akin to developing countries that don't have the amenities that most of the rest of us are used to," said Chappell.
"The argument is that basically if you place any of us in the lives that they've had to lead, we would have short life expectancy too."
Dr. Georges Sioui, co-ordinator of the aboriginal studies program at the University of Ottawa, agreed.
"Most people are just stuck there in those villages and have to eat anything that is shipped out there. And usually it's the poorest food that's available in the south," he said.
"And then people have diabetes, they have heart conditions, even the young people."
While life expectancy has been steadily increasing in Canada, Chappell warned that could change.
"There is concern right now that with the next generation coming up, with these rates of obesity and things, that we may not see life expectancy continuing to increase."
Chappell said there are things Canadians can do to increase life expectancy beyond eating well and exercising regularly.
Canadians should "empower themselves in whatever aspects of their lives that they can, so they feel that they get to make their own choices for whatever they're doing in life," she said.
Chappell also cited autonomy as a contributing factor for a long life.
"If you're at a point where you can sort of afford more than the basic necessities of life, that you have a decent job and if you, you know, have some control over it, your life expectancy will be longer."
