About
Since its modern inception in Athens, Greece in 1896, the summer edition of the Olympic Games has taken place 29 times, most recently in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. Over its 125-year history, 16,781 medals have been awarded to over 150 current and former countries and territories. The three most successful countries at the Summer Olympics have included the USA, USSR/Russia, and Great Britain, while 69 nations have competed and not won a single medal.
Sports and fitness play an important role in people’s ability to live well and for longer: a 2022 Harvard study suggests that exercising more than the recommended amount could extend a person’s life and reduce the risk of an early death. Furthermore, physical activity is associated with improved overall health in those people who survive to older ages. Added to this, preventative health interventions such as immunisation are important mechanisms to ensure people remain healthy and protected against disease right throughout their lives.
Remaining physically active and in good health is important throughout the life course to achieve healthy ageing. Whilst no one is expected to live, train, and diet like an Olympian, there is much to be said about a country’s ability to encourage its citizens to be active and provide them with good healthcare. Investing in prevention and services like immunisation is essential to helping people live longer and healthier lives.
So if healthy ageing and prevention were Olympic sports, how would countries perform?
Using our Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index, we want to examine how well countries compete with one another in terms of longer lives and the extent to which their governments are investing in efforts to prevent ill health and support healthy ageing. With Paris hosting the 2024 Olympics this summer, there is an opportunity to engage with policymakers and health stakeholders on prevention and to make the case for better investment in longer lives.
This project has been financially supported by Sanofi.
Blogs
Going for gold: if there was an Olympics for healthy ageing, how would your country perform?
26 March 2024
Imagine if there was an Olympics for healthy ageing. Imagine if your country was competing; how would it perform? Would it win a medal for life expectancy? Do you think it would win gold for preventative health? These are some of the questions we’re exploring as part of our Going for gold project. In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, we’ll be looking at how countries perform across a range of “healthy ageing” events and disciplines.
Upcoming events
Awards ceremony – Going for gold: How do countries compete when it comes to healthy ageing?
Date: 16 July 2024
Location: Maison du Danemark, Champs-Élysées, Paris
Join ILC-UK and the ILC Europe Network for our Going for gold awards ceremony ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Be a part of our healthy ageing video series
Ahead of our awards ceremony in Paris, we will be running a social media campaign highlighting the importance of preventative care and healthy ageing in society today.
One of our planned activities under this campaign is a video series, where health experts, country leaders, policymakers and athletes highlight the importance of healthy ageing, prevention and physical activity in their countries.
Want to send us a video? Contact Anna van Renen for more information.
We want to hear from you
If you would like to get involved in this project or have any questions, please contact Patrick Swain.