French live longer but less well

FRENCH people have amongst the longest lifespans in Europe but, like elsewhere, their quality of life is falling, researchers say.

A study has shown their "expectation of life without incapacity" is falling slowly and trails Britons.

Researchers studied lifespans and quality of life across the European Union and, in France, men can expect to live until they are 78.2 years old (eighth place in

Europe) but will start to face health problems from the age of 61.9 (14th place in Europe).

French women have the longest life expectancy in Europe, at 85.3 years, but can expect health problems from the age of 63.5.

These figures have slipped slightly from the last study, in 2008, where men could expect problems at 62.7 and women at 64.6.

In Britain, women can expect to live until 82.5 but will have problems after the age of 66. For men, life expectancy is 78.3 with quality of life changing after the age of 65.1, fifth best in Europe.

Swedish men have the longest "expectation of life in good health" at 71.7 years; while Slovakian men have the shortest, at 52.3.

Maltese women could expect the longest quality of life, until the age of 79.6, and again the Slovakians were shortest at 52.1.

Bulgaria, despite having the shortest life expectancy for women, at 77.4, has the third highest expectation of life without incapacity, at 67.2.

A study by the Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques says improved education, exercise and the prevention of cardio-vascular problems had played a major part in extending people's lives.

This also led to increasing health problems due to age but INED also pointed out people's perception of "real" incapacity was different in different cultures.
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