The average life expectancy in the United States is 76.4 years as of 2021, according to the CDC. Hawaii leads all 50 states at 80.7 years, while Mississippi ranks last at 71.9 years, a gap of nearly 9 years between the best and worst states in the country.
All 50 States Ranked by Life Expectancy
All 50 states are ranked below by average life expectancy at birth, combining male and female populations, based on 2021 CDC National Center for Health Statistics data.
| Rank | State | Life Expectancy (Years) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 80.7 |
| 2 | California | 79.2 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 79.1 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 79.0 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 79.0 |
| 6 | New York | 78.8 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 78.8 |
| 8 | Vermont | 78.7 |
| 9 | Colorado | 78.6 |
| 10 | Washington | 78.5 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 78.4 |
| 12 | Utah | 78.4 |
| 13 | Oregon | 78.2 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 78.0 |
| 15 | Nebraska | 77.9 |
| 16 | Iowa | 77.8 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 77.7 |
| 18 | Idaho | 77.6 |
| 19 | Maryland | 77.5 |
| 20 | South Dakota | 77.4 |
| 21 | North Dakota | 77.3 |
| 22 | Virginia | 77.2 |
| 23 | Montana | 77.1 |
| 24 | Wyoming | 77.0 |
| 25 | Arizona | 76.9 |
| 26 | Florida | 76.8 |
| 27 | Texas | 76.6 |
| 28 | Maine | 76.5 |
| 29 | Kansas | 76.4 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 76.3 |
| 31 | Michigan | 76.1 |
| 32 | Delaware | 76.0 |
| 33 | Nevada | 75.8 |
| 34 | Alaska | 75.7 |
| 35 | North Carolina | 75.6 |
| 36 | Illinois | 75.5 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 75.3 |
| 38 | Ohio | 75.2 |
| 39 | Missouri | 75.1 |
| 40 | Indiana | 74.9 |
| 41 | South Carolina | 74.7 |
| 42 | Georgia | 74.5 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 74.1 |
| 44 | Louisiana | 73.9 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 73.8 |
| 46 | Tennessee | 73.6 |
| 47 | Kentucky | 73.2 |
| 48 | Alabama | 72.9 |
| 49 | West Virginia | 72.8 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 71.9 |
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2021 State Life Expectancy Estimates. Minor ranking shifts may appear across different CDC data releases as mortality methodology is periodically revised.
Why Hawaii Leads and Mississippi Trails by Nearly 9 Years
The nearly 9-year gap between Hawaii (80.7 years) and Mississippi (71.9 years) reflects compounding structural differences across income, healthcare access, obesity, smoking, and education rather than any single cause.
Hawaii’s top ranking is driven by several overlapping advantages. The state has a large Asian American population, the racial group with the highest national life expectancy at approximately 83.5 years per CDC data. Hawaii also maintains one of the lowest adult smoking rates in the country at roughly 11% of adults, and its outdoor-active culture produces physical activity rates well above the national average.
Mississippi’s bottom ranking reflects the simultaneous presence of nearly every known longevity risk factor. The state has the highest adult obesity rate in the country at 41.8%, one of the highest uninsured population rates, the lowest median household income at approximately $49,000 per year, and persistently high cardiovascular disease and diabetes mortality.
The Top 10 States for Longevity and What They Share
The 10 longest-living states all average above 78.4 years, which is 2 years more than the national average. These states share five measurable characteristics.
| Characteristic | Top 10 State Average | National Average |
|---|---|---|
| Adult smoking rate | Below 12% | 14.0% |
| Adult obesity rate | Below 28% | 36.2% |
| Health insurance coverage | Above 93% | 91.4% |
| Median household income | Above $70,000 | $70,784 |
| Adults with college degree | Above 37% | 33.7% |
New England dominates the top tier. Massachusetts (79.0 years), Connecticut (79.0 years), Vermont (78.7 years), and New Hampshire (78.8 years) all benefit from high educational attainment, well-funded Medicaid programs (the government health insurance program for low-income residents), and dense primary care networks.
Minnesota (79.1 years) stands out partly because it is home to the Mayo Clinic system in Rochester, which elevates the entire state’s physician density (meaning the number of practicing doctors per 100,000 residents) and hospital infrastructure quality.
Colorado (78.6 years) achieves its ranking despite a median income near the national average. Colorado is consistently the least obese state in the country, with an adult obesity rate below 22%, and has above-average physical activity rates tied to its outdoor recreation culture.
The 10 States With the Shortest Life Expectancies
Every state in the bottom 10 averages below 74.1 years, meaning residents there live more than 6 years less than residents in the top 10 states.
West Virginia (72.8 years) and Kentucky (73.2 years) are most severely affected by the opioid crisis, which refers to the epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths involving opioid drugs (a class of powerful pain-relieving medications including prescription painkillers and heroin). West Virginia holds the highest drug overdose death rate in the country at approximately 90.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to CDC overdose surveillance data.
Alabama (72.9 years), Tennessee (73.6 years), Arkansas (73.8 years), and Louisiana (73.9 years) all carry high concentrations of cardiovascular disease mortality. These states lie within what researchers call the “Stroke Belt,” a geographic band across the Southeast where stroke mortality rates (deaths caused by interrupted blood flow to the brain) are significantly elevated above national norms.
Mississippi (71.9 years), Oklahoma (74.1 years), and South Carolina (74.7 years) all show high rates of uninsured adults combined with limited rural healthcare access. Uninsured adults are significantly less likely to receive preventive screenings, chronic disease management, or timely emergency care before conditions become life-threatening.
Regional Patterns: South, Northeast, and Mountain West
Regional patterns in life expectancy reflect deep structural differences that persist across decades, not year-to-year fluctuations.
The South dominates the bottom of the rankings. All 15 of the lowest-ranked states are either in the South or border a Southern state. The CDC attributes roughly 40% of this regional gap to behavioral risk factors including smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity, with the remaining 60% tied to income inequality, healthcare access, and educational attainment.
The Northeast and Pacific Coast occupy the top tier. New England, the Mid-Atlantic corridor, and Pacific Coast states hold most of the top 15 positions. These regions share dense urban economies, higher median household incomes, and above-average primary care physician-to-patient ratios.
The Mountain West outperforms its income levels. Utah (78.4 years), Colorado (78.6 years), and Idaho (77.6 years) rank well above the national average. Low smoking rates, active outdoor cultures, and in Utah’s case the health practices of the large Latter-day Saint population (which historically avoids tobacco and alcohol) are the primary explanations.
The Upper Midwest performs consistently well. Minnesota, Wisconsin (78.0 years), Iowa (77.8 years), and Nebraska (77.9 years) all exceed the national average, driven by strong primary care infrastructure and above-average rates of health insurance coverage.
Income’s Direct Effect on How Long Americans Live
Higher household income is one of the strongest individual predictors of life expectancy, and the relationship holds at every income level rather than only at the extremes.
A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2016 found that the richest 1% of American men live an average of 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1% of men. For women, the gap was 10.1 years. This income-longevity gradient exists in every state, but it is steepest in states with the most concentrated poverty.
Mississippi has a median household income of approximately $49,000 per year, the lowest in the country. Hawaii has a median of approximately $83,000 per year. The $34,000 annual income gap between the two states is larger than the per capita income of many middle-income countries.
Low income directly limits access to five things that determine longevity:
- Health insurance and routine preventive care
- Nutritious food in consistent quantities
- Stable housing free from environmental hazards like mold, lead, and extreme heat
- Time and safe spaces for physical activity
- Mental health care, which connects to cardiovascular outcomes through chronic stress pathways
States that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act (the 2010 federal health law, also called the ACA) show measurable mortality reductions versus non-expansion states. As of 2024, 10 states had still not expanded Medicaid, and 8 of those 10 rank in the bottom half of the national life expectancy table.
Obesity and Smoking Rates Mapped Against Longevity
States with the lowest obesity and smoking rates consistently appear at the top of the life expectancy rankings, and states with the highest rates of both appear at the bottom.
| State | Adult Obesity Rate | Adult Smoking Rate | Life Expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 22.0% | 13.5% | 78.6 years |
| Hawaii | 24.3% | 11.0% | 80.7 years |
| Massachusetts | 25.7% | 13.3% | 79.0 years |
| National Average | 36.2% | 14.0% | 76.4 years |
| Tennessee | 38.5% | 21.5% | 73.6 years |
| Alabama | 40.3% | 20.9% | 72.9 years |
| West Virginia | 42.1% | 25.2% | 72.8 years |
| Mississippi | 41.8% | 22.0% | 71.9 years |
Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and CDC NCHS life expectancy estimates, 2021.
Obesity is defined clinically as a body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height squared) of 30 or higher. Obesity is a primary driver of Type 2 diabetes (a metabolic disease in which blood sugar regulation fails), heart disease, stroke, and several cancers. States where more than 40% of adults are obese face a compounding burden in which multiple chronic diseases concentrate in the same populations simultaneously.
Each cigarette is estimated to reduce life expectancy by approximately 11 minutes, according to research published in the British Medical Journal. A lifelong pack-a-day smoker loses roughly 7 to 8 years of life compared to a non-smoker.
Racial and Ethnic Life Expectancy Gaps Within States
Statewide averages conceal large life expectancy disparities by race and ethnicity that exist in every state without exception.
| Racial or Ethnic Group | National Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Asian Americans | 83.5 years |
| Hispanic Americans | 77.9 years |
| White Americans | 76.4 years |
| Black Americans | 70.8 years |
| Native American and Alaska Native | 65.2 years |
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2021 provisional life expectancy estimates by race and ethnicity.
Black Americans live an average of 5.6 years less than white Americans nationally. This gap reflects disparities in income, healthcare access, housing quality, and exposure to chronic stress. Both Mississippi and Alabama have large Black populations and record some of the widest racial life expectancy gaps in the country.
Hispanic Americans outlive white Americans by approximately 1.5 years despite generally lower median incomes, a pattern researchers call the “Hispanic paradox.” The CDC and academic researchers attribute this partly to lower smoking rates, stronger multigenerational social support networks, and the healthy immigrant effect (the tendency for immigrants to arrive in the United States in better health than the average native-born population).
Native American and Alaska Native populations have the largest life expectancy shortfall of any group at approximately 65.2 years, nearly 11 years below white Americans. This reflects chronic underfunding of Indian Health Service facilities, geographic isolation from mainstream healthcare systems, and elevated rates of diabetes and liver disease.
Men Versus Women: Life Expectancy Compared by State
Men live shorter lives than women in every U.S. state, but the size of that gap varies significantly by state.
| State | Male Life Expectancy | Female Life Expectancy | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 78.3 | 83.1 | 4.8 years |
| Utah | 76.8 | 80.1 | 3.3 years |
| Minnesota | 77.0 | 81.2 | 4.2 years |
| National Average | 73.5 | 79.3 | 5.8 years |
| West Virginia | 69.5 | 76.1 | 6.6 years |
| Mississippi | 68.4 | 75.2 | 6.8 years |
The male-female gap is widest in states most affected by the opioid crisis because drug overdose deaths occur at roughly twice the rate among men as among women, per CDC overdose surveillance data. The gap is narrowest in states with the highest overall life expectancy, suggesting that the structural factors extending life broadly (higher income, lower smoking, stronger healthcare access) disproportionately benefit men, who use preventive care at lower rates than women.
Physical Inactivity Rates and Their Correlation to Longevity
Physical inactivity (defined by the CDC as not meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week) directly raises risk for heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and several cancers.
| State | Adults Physically Inactive | Life Expectancy Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 36.3% | 50th |
| West Virginia | 35.5% | 49th |
| Alabama | 33.9% | 48th |
| National Average | 25.3% | N/A |
| Hawaii | 18.8% | 1st |
| Colorado | 17.3% | 9th |
| Utah | 19.1% | 12th |
Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, most recent state-level data.
Climate influences activity rates but does not determine them. Utah has cold winters yet records activity rates comparable to warm-climate states like Hawaii, which indicates that community norms around exercise can override weather barriers. States where outdoor recreation is culturally central, regardless of climate, show measurable longevity advantages tied specifically to activity levels.
How COVID-19 Reshaped the State Life Expectancy Map
COVID-19 reduced national life expectancy by 2.4 years between 2019 and 2021, the steepest two-year decline since World War II, according to CDC NCHS provisional data.
The losses were not evenly distributed. States with lower COVID-19 vaccination rates and higher rates of underlying chronic disease suffered the largest declines. Mississippi’s life expectancy fell by approximately 4 years from its pre-pandemic baseline. Hawaii’s dropped by roughly 1.5 years. The states that entered the pandemic with the weakest health infrastructure absorbed the most excess mortality.
Preliminary CDC data for 2022 shows partial national recovery to approximately 77.5 years. Full recovery to the 78.8-year pre-pandemic baseline is projected to take several more years. Researchers at the Commonwealth Fund note that disrupted preventive care during 2020 and 2021, including missed cancer screenings and delayed chronic disease management, will continue generating excess deaths through the mid-2020s.
Education Level as a Predictor of How Long Americans Live
Adults with a four-year college degree live an average of 8 to 10 years longer than adults who did not complete high school, according to multiple large-scale cohort studies reviewed by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
Education predicts longevity through four reinforcing pathways:
- Higher-paying jobs with employer health insurance
- Greater health literacy (the ability to understand and act on health information)
- Lower rates of smoking and heavy alcohol use
- More consistent use of preventive care services including cancer screenings and chronic disease management
Massachusetts has the highest share of college-educated adults of any state at approximately 45% and ranks in the national top five for life expectancy. West Virginia has the lowest share at roughly 22% and ranks 49th nationally. The correlation between state-level educational attainment and life expectancy ranking holds with very few exceptions across all 50 states.
Healthcare Access and Uninsured Rates by State
Uninsured rates range from roughly 3% in Massachusetts to above 18% in Texas, and states with high uninsured rates consistently rank near the bottom of the life expectancy table.
Uninsured adults are significantly less likely to receive:
- Routine blood pressure and cholesterol screening
- Cancer screenings including colonoscopies, mammograms, and cervical cancer tests
- Ongoing management for chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension (high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke)
- Mental health treatment, which increasingly links to cardiovascular mortality through chronic stress pathways
- Dental care, which connects to cardiovascular health through systemic inflammation
Massachusetts implemented near-universal health insurance coverage through its 2006 state-level reform, which later served as the structural model for the federal Affordable Care Act. The state has maintained one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country since 2007 and has consistently ranked among the five longest-living states.
A 2021 analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that Medicaid expansion under the ACA is associated with a 0.1 to 0.2 year improvement in statewide life expectancy, with larger effects in states where the uninsured rate was highest before expansion. Of the 10 states that had not expanded Medicaid as of 2024, 8 ranked in the bottom half of the national life expectancy table.
Rural Versus Urban Life Expectancy: A Widening Gap
Rural Americans live an average of 4 to 5 years less than urban Americans as of 2021, a gap that was only about 1 year in 1990, according to CDC analysis published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Several converging trends drove this widening divide:
- Rural hospital closures. More than 180 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2023, according to the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
- Emergency care travel times. Each 10-minute increase in travel time to emergency care is associated with measurable increases in mortality from heart attacks, strokes, and traumatic injuries, per research in JAMA Internal Medicine.
- Overdose death rates. Rural county overdose death rates now exceed urban county rates for the first time in U.S. history, per 2023 CDC overdose surveillance data.
- Mental health provider shortages. Approximately 60% of rural counties have no psychiatrist at all, per American Psychiatric Association workforce shortage data.
- Occupational hazards. Farming, logging, and mining are three of the most dangerous occupations in the United States by fatality rate and are disproportionately concentrated in rural areas.
States with large rural populations, including West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas, are doubly affected because their incomes are lower and their healthcare infrastructure is thinner than in heavily urbanized states.
Five Shared Traits of the Highest-Longevity States
The five characteristics most strongly associated with high state-level life expectancy are measurable, and every state in the top 10 meets at least four of the five thresholds listed below.
| Factor | Top-10 State Threshold | Why It Predicts Longevity |
|---|---|---|
| Adult smoking rate | Below 12% | Smoking causes approximately 480,000 deaths per year in the U.S. per CDC |
| Adult obesity rate | Below 28% | Primary driver of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and several cancers |
| Health insurance coverage | Above 93% | Predicts preventive care use and chronic disease management rates |
| Median household income | Above $65,000 | Determines housing, nutrition, care access, and chronic stress levels |
| College graduation rate | Above 35% | Independently predicts smoking abstinence, health literacy, and care use |
No single factor alone explains state-level life expectancy differences. States that rank well on all five factors simultaneously, such as Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Hawaii, consistently hold the top positions year after year. States that rank poorly on all five simultaneously, such as Mississippi, West Virginia, and Alabama, hold the bottom positions year after year.
FAQs
What is the average life expectancy in the United States?
The average life expectancy in the United States is 76.4 years as of 2021, according to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics. This declined from 78.8 years in 2019, primarily due to COVID-19 deaths and rising drug overdose fatalities. Preliminary CDC data for 2022 shows partial recovery to approximately 77.5 years.
Which state has the highest life expectancy?
Hawaii has the highest life expectancy of any U.S. state at 80.7 years as of 2021 CDC data. Hawaii benefits from a large Asian American population with strong longevity outcomes, one of the lowest adult smoking rates in the country at roughly 11%, high rates of physical activity, and a diet historically rich in fish and vegetables.
Which state has the lowest life expectancy?
Mississippi has the lowest life expectancy in the country at 71.9 years as of 2021 CDC data. Mississippi has the highest adult obesity rate at 41.8%, among the highest uninsured population rates, and one of the lowest median household incomes at approximately $49,000 per year, combined with persistently high rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
How much does life expectancy vary between U.S. states?
The gap between the longest-living state (Hawaii at 80.7 years) and the shortest-living state (Mississippi at 71.9 years) is approximately 8.8 years as of 2021 CDC data. This difference is comparable to the life expectancy gap between the United States and some lower-income developing nations, making it one of the starkest within-country longevity divides among wealthy democracies.
Why do Southern states have lower life expectancy?
Southern states have lower life expectancy because of a simultaneous concentration of risk factors including higher adult obesity rates, higher smoking rates, higher cardiovascular disease mortality, lower median household incomes, and higher uninsured population rates. The CDC estimates that roughly 40% of the regional life expectancy gap is attributable to behavioral risk factors, with the remaining 60% tied to socioeconomic conditions and healthcare access disparities.
What is the life expectancy for men versus women in the U.S.?
American men have an average life expectancy of 73.5 years while American women average 79.3 years, a gap of 5.8 years, according to 2021 CDC NCHS data. Men have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, accidental death, and suicide, and are significantly less likely to use preventive healthcare than women. The gap is widest in states most affected by the opioid crisis, where overdose deaths occur at roughly twice the rate among men as among women.
How did COVID-19 affect life expectancy by state?
COVID-19 reduced U.S. national life expectancy by 2.4 years between 2019 and 2021, the steepest two-year drop since World War II per CDC data. States with lower vaccination rates and higher rates of underlying chronic disease suffered the largest declines. Mississippi’s life expectancy fell by approximately 4 years from its pre-pandemic level, while Hawaii’s dropped by roughly 1.5 years.
Does income affect how long you live in the United States?
Income is one of the strongest individual predictors of life expectancy in the United States. A 2016 JAMA study found that the richest 1% of American men live an average of 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1% of men. Higher income enables better housing, nutrition, healthcare access, and lower chronic stress, all of which independently predict longer life.
What role does the opioid crisis play in U.S. life expectancy?
Drug overdose deaths, primarily involving opioids (powerful pain-relieving drugs with high addiction and overdose risk), exceeded 100,000 Americans per year as of 2022 CDC overdose surveillance data. The crisis has most severely affected West Virginia (approximately 90.9 overdose deaths per 100,000 residents), Kentucky, and Tennessee, pulling down life expectancy in those states by an estimated 2 to 4 years from what they would otherwise be.
How does education level affect life expectancy?
Americans with a four-year college degree live an average of 8 to 10 years longer than adults who did not complete high school, according to National Bureau of Economic Research cohort studies. Education predicts longevity through higher income, greater health literacy, lower smoking rates, and more consistent use of preventive care services including cancer screenings and chronic disease management.
What is the life expectancy gap between urban and rural Americans?
Rural Americans live an average of 4 to 5 years less than urban Americans as of 2021, up from approximately 1 year in 1990 per CDC analysis. Rural hospital closures exceeding 180 since 2010 (per the Chartis Center for Rural Health), rising overdose death rates, mental health provider shortages, and occupational hazards in farming and mining are the primary drivers of the widening gap.
Which states have improved life expectancy the most in recent decades?
California, New York, and several New England states have shown the strongest long-run improvement in life expectancy since the 1990s. These states led nationally in reducing smoking rates, expanding healthcare coverage through Medicaid and the ACA, and implementing public health programs targeting cardiovascular disease. California reduced its adult smoking rate from approximately 20% in the mid-1990s to roughly 9% today, one of the largest sustained declines of any state.
Does Medicaid expansion affect life expectancy by state?
States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act show measurable reductions in mortality rates compared to non-expansion states, according to a 2021 analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The effect is equivalent to approximately a 0.1 to 0.2 year improvement in statewide life expectancy, with larger effects where the uninsured rate was highest before expansion. As of 2024, 8 of the 10 states that had not expanded Medicaid ranked in the bottom half of the national life expectancy table.
What is the life expectancy of a 65-year-old in the United States?
A 65-year-old American can expect to live an additional 19.3 years on average, reaching approximately age 84, according to CDC Social Security actuarial life tables. This figure is higher than at-birth estimates because it excludes deaths that occur before age 65. Women who reach 65 can expect approximately 21 more years, while men at 65 can expect approximately 18 more years.
Why do Asian Americans have the highest life expectancy in the United States?
Asian Americans have a national average life expectancy of approximately 83.5 years, the highest of any racial group, per 2021 CDC NCHS data. Contributing factors include lower smoking and obesity rates than the general population, strong multigenerational social support networks, higher median household incomes, and greater use of preventive healthcare services. The concentration of Asian Americans in high-longevity states like Hawaii and California also elevates the national average.
Is U.S. life expectancy improving or declining overall?
U.S. life expectancy was declining modestly even before COVID-19, driven by rising drug overdose deaths and slowing cardiovascular disease improvements, according to CDC trend data. COVID-19 accelerated the decline sharply, dropping the national average from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.4 years in 2021. Preliminary 2022 data shows partial recovery, but the United States still trails most peer wealthy nations, which average roughly 81 to 84 years.
How do obesity rates connect to state life expectancy rankings?
States with adult obesity rates above 40% (including Mississippi, West Virginia, and Alabama) all rank in the bottom five nationally for life expectancy. States with obesity rates below 25% (including Hawaii and Colorado) all rank in the top 10. Obesity is a primary driver of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and several cancers, each of which reduces life expectancy independently and compounds in severity when present together in the same population.
What lifestyle changes have the biggest individual impact on life expectancy?
Quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, and meeting CDC physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week are the three lifestyle changes with the strongest documented associations with increased longevity, according to CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) research. A non-smoker at a healthy weight who exercises regularly can expect to live approximately 10 to 14 years longer than a sedentary, obese smoker, based on large prospective cohort studies.