Women in France -- especially in foie gras country -- live longer than people almost anywhere else.

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Recipe for More Golden Years?

Women in France -- especially in foie gras country -- live longer than people almost anywhere else.

By Molly

Washington Post Foreign Service

Monday, February 5, 2007; Page A11

CAHORS, France

For her 100th birthday party last October, Hélène Vialard indulged in her favorite meal -- coq au vin. She adores the local Cahors red wines, occasionally eats a sliver of foie gras, another regional specialty, and says she has no secret for reaching the century mark: " It just came on its own. I never thought I would live this long. "

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The women of Cahors, France, clockwise from top: Aliette Picuira, 82, left, says she adds three spoonfuls of wine to her nightly bowl of soup, while e Labat, 83, prefers champagne with her meals; Hélène Vialard turned 100 in October; Jeanne Cuisiner, 87, likes dancing the tango.

Women of France -- a land renowned for a cuisine laden with fats and calories -- have the longest life expectancy of any nation on Earth except Japan. A baby girl born in France in 2006 can expect to live until she is at least 84, surpassing a baby boy's potential by seven years, according to new government statistics. Only Japanese women have a longer life expectancy, 85.6 years. American women can expect a life span of 80.1 years, recent statistics show.

Some of the longest-living Frenchwomen reside in the southwest's Midi-Pyrenees region, which is famous for its fatty foie gras -- made from the livers of overfed ducks and geese -- and rustic red wines. Here, where women say moderation is the key to indulging in their favorite foods, female life expectancy is a full year above the national average.

" There is a real paradox in the southwest of France, " said Jacques Vallin of the country's National Institute for Demographic Studies, who specializes in elderly populations. " It's one of the areas where people live the longest and where cardiovascular risks are the lowest, even though it's the foie gras region. It contradicts people's expectations about health and common sense. "

Life expectancy rates for both men and women are rising across Europe, fueled by a combination of improved health care, especially for newborns and the elderly, the elimination of many diseases, and lower risks of dying from smoking, drinking and automobile accidents, according to Guy Desplanques, chief of the demographics department at France's National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies.

But what may be good news for individuals is putting increasing strain on governments across Western Europe, as they confront the rising costs of caring for populations that are rapidly aging while birthrates are slowing or diminishing.

In France, life expectancy is increasing at an average of three months a year. By the end of this century, French officials project, the average life span for women will be 95, and for men, 91.

Across most of the world, women tend to live longer than men. Some experts say that women have stronger constitutions or take better care of themselves; others argue that they have less stressful jobs and lifestyles.

Hélène Vialard, who moved from Paris to Cahors for its clean air after she was found to have tuberculosis at age 16, is a member of one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in France -- centenarians, people who are 100 or older.

Last year, more than 16,000 women and men in France were at least 100 years old, more than double the number of seven years ago. The National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies projects that by 2050, the country will have 150,000 centenarians. Now sociologists talk in terms of a new class of elderly -- super-centenarians, those who've reached 110 years or more.

Cahors, a town of 21,000 people cradled in a bend of the Lot River, is bracing for such a future. Because of its reputation for a relaxing lifestyle, pleasant climate and good food, it is attracting elderly residents from other parts of France as well as neighboring countries. The area now has seven assisted-care homes for the elderly, and two more will soon be under construction.

" People are entering these homes later and later, " said Yves Panassie, 57, head of social affairs for the town government. " But when they enter, they are more handicapped. "

The town has hired 110 people to deliver meals to elderly residents who can no longer go out. Requests for these home-delivered meals have doubled in the last four years, according to Panassie.

So, does the fountain of youth flow with foie gras, red wine and olive oil?

Women in the more temperate Mediterranean countries -- France, Spain and Italy -- tend to live longer than those in colder northern countries. The trends are also reflected within France itself: Women from southern areas where olive oil and duck fat are more prevalent in diets have longer life spans than those from northern areas, where diets include more butter, beef and pork, according to demographers.

The oldest person in modern history with an authenticated birth certificate was a Frenchwoman, Jeanne Calment, who died at age 122 in 1997 in Provence.

But sociologists, statisticians and doctors concede that there is no agreement on why some, like the women of Cahors, live so much longer than others. Is it genetic, nutritional, psychological or physiological?

Vialard, whose thick thatch of silvery hair, bird-like blue-gray eyes and razor-sharp mind belie a century of living, says there is no contradiction in drinking good wine, eating a bit of goose liver and remaining healthy. It's all a matter of moderation.

" I didn't do anything in excess in my life, " said Vialard, who lived in her own house until she fell and broke a hip two years ago. She now resides in one of the growing number of nursing homes. " I don't have a sweet tooth, " she said. She has all but three of her original teeth. " I like fruit, I don't like cream. I don't like greasy food; I don't cook with a lot of oil, even if it's olive oil. "

Vialard and her husband, who died a dozen years ago, didn't own a car. They walked or bicycled where they needed to go in Cahors. Her one regret, she said, is that she has outlived all her relatives. Her only child died as a baby.

Her recipe for long life is echoed by many of the retired women of Cahors.

" This is the land of gastronomy, and I like the Cahors wines, " said 87-year-old Jeanne Cuisiner, taking a break from her weekly card game at a seniors center deep in the town's old quarter, where the streets are too narrow for cars. " But I drink one glass now and then. I never smoked, I eat a lot of vegetables and not much meat. "

Next to a lively card game, her favorite pastime is dancing the tango, said Cuisiner, a mischievous grin crossing a face as creased as a favorite road map.

Across town, on the edge of the city cemetery, another group of retirees gathers at the Silver Hair Center. " I eat a bowl of soup every night, " said Aliette Picuira, 82, whose hair is expertly colored a youthful brown. " At the end of the soup, I put in three big spoons of wine and drink it. "

It's a local custom especially popular among the more rural residents.

Another active participant at the center, e Labat, 83, says that although doctors and scientists have hailed the health benefits of red wine, " I'd rather eat my meals with champagne. "

Labat is also a dancer -- waltzes are her favorite -- but her passion is going out to restaurants. " I know every restaurant in the region, " she said. " I go to restaurants every weekend, but I only eat a little. I go not so much to eat, but to go out and be with friends. "

She paused and leaned forward conspiratorially. " I want to give you the secret to longevity: Laugh and have fun and make jokes. "

Researcher Corinne Gavard contributed to this report.

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