Six ways to live to the age of 100 As students, our life expectancy probably isn't one of the most pressing topics on our minds -- we have the rest of our lives to worry about death, after all. And fortunately, we have been born into a generation with better access to medical treatment than ever before, which is why the average lifespan is rising by three months per year. Although our chances of reaching 100 are greater than our ancestors', scientific research shows that our life expectancy is greatly dependent on the specific lifestyle choices that we make. So: want to live to see your great grand-children and receive a birthday card from the Queen? Follow the Boar's six tips for longevity. Be spiritual According to scientific research, regular churchgoers live longer than people who seldom or never attend worship services. A recent study has shown that people who attended church lived until age 83, compared to those who never attended, who lived until age 75. This association still occurred when factors such as education, income, social ties and health status were controlled. Additional research found that patients with HIV , heart disease, kidney disease and liver transplants were significantly more likely to survive if they were religious, compared to atheists. Biologically, this may be explained by a protein known as IL -6, which is associated with disease, and is found in greater amounts in patients suffering from illness. Accordingly, religious adults were half as likely to have increased