Sometimes conversations about our health begin after an annual checkup. Other times, they start after an unexpected moment, like waking up with sore joints after spending the evening cheering on your favorite sport team.
Those conversations often lead to questions about health span. Unlike lifespan, which measures how long a person lives, health span focuses on the years they remain healthy and are able to maintain a good quality of life.
Shawn Felton, dean of the Marieb College of Health and Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University, is working to expand health span in Southwest Florida by seven years by 2040 through the Southwest Florida Health Span Partnership.
Speaking Friday on "The Florida Roundup," Felton said that while the average life span in Southwest Florida is a little more than 80 years, the region faces a 13-year gap when it comes to health span.
That gap means many Floridians begin experiencing health conditions that affect their quality of life around age 67. According to Felton, chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and mental health conditions are among the biggest contributors.
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"The biggest piece there is the chronic disease," Felton said. "The chronic issues that really begin very early in life, that is often unrecognized early and it continues on."
Felton said access to healthcare is another key factor in improving health span.
According to Felton, chronic diseases account for nearly 90% of healthcare costs. Expanding access to preventive care and lowering its cost, he said, could encourage more people to seek treatment before health issues become more serious.
"Many students come without health insurance, and delay some of that care early on," Felton said. "I think prevention is one of our critical pieces."
Beyond physical health, Felton said social isolation also plays a significant role as people age. The loss of longtime friends, children moving away and limited access to mental health services can all contribute to declining well-being.
To better understand those challenges, Felton is working with partners across Southwest Florida to collect data on residents' physical, mental and social health. The goal is to identify areas where communities can improve long-term health outcomes.
"We look at health span because the word 'health', it is all healthcare related and it's the connection of educational attainment," Felton said. "It's also financial planning, it's also long-term estate planning, and the stresses and caregiver planning."
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While many of the challenges require broader policy changes, Felton said some improvements can begin with everyday habits, including making healthier food choices.
According to the Eat Real Food Initiative, about 70% of the average American child's diet consists of ultra-processed foods.
"Oftentimes, people think eating healthy is more expensive when it's not," Felton said. "So much of the saturated foods and the processed foods are damaging us as well."
For Felton, improving health span goes beyond medicine. It also means addressing education, financial planning, mental health and the social connections that shape people's well-being throughout their lives.
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Tom Hudson for "The Florida Roundup." Click here to listen to the full conversation.
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