Do South Asian Men Really Live Longer — Even With Fat Tummies and a Sweet Tooth?

When you think of health role models, you probably don’t picture the average South Asian dad.

We’ve got our fat tummies, a sweet tooth for mithai, and an allergy to the gym. And yet — here’s the twist — some studies show that South Asian men in the UK actually live longer than White men.

Yes, you read that right.

The Numbers Don’t Lie (At First Glance)

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS):

• Women in the UK live on average around 82.8 years

• Men around 78.8 years

• White men: about 79.7 years

• White women: about 83.1 years

Now here’s the surprise:

• South Asian men (grouped as “Asian Other” in ONS datasets) come in at about 84.5 years

• South Asian women often match or beat their White counterparts too

So if you’re only looking at life expectancy, you could argue the world should start copying us — with our fat tummies, parathas, and resistance to gym memberships.

The Paradox of Longevity

But scratch beneath the surface, and the story changes.

In my own clinic, when I see older South Asian men, the pattern is clear. They’re not healthy. They’re usually on multiple tablets — diabetes meds, blood pressure pills, statins for cholesterol. They look frail. They’re rarely active.

The truth is that South Asians may live longer, but not healthier.

Research backs this up:

• South Asians in the UK develop type 2 diabetes 5–10 years earlier than White groups

• They face higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems

• They tend to live more years with chronic illness and disability

So yes, life expectancy might look good on paper. But healthy life expectancy — the years lived without disease or disability — is worse.

Why Might South Asians Outlive White People?

There are some theories:

• Lower smoking and alcohol rates in many South Asian groups reduce deaths from lung cancer and liver disease

• Stronger family and social networks may offer protection against loneliness in old age

• Healthy migrant effect: those who moved here were often fitter and younger, giving an advantage that lasts decades

• Cause of death differences: fewer alcohol-related deaths and accidents, even if heart disease is higher

  
  

What This Means for South Asian Men

So yes, we may live longer. But too many of those years are spent frail, medicated, and unfit. That’s not the kind of longevity anyone really wants.

The lesson isn’t that fat tummies and laddoos are the secret to long life. It’s that living long isn’t the same as living well.

And as a South Asian GP, a father, and yes, a man with my own sweet tooth — I see the writing on the wall. It’s not enough to count the years. We need to make the years count.

✅ Shantosh takeaway: Don’t just aim to live long. Aim to live strong.

References

• Office for National Statistics (2024). National life tables: UK, 2021–2023. ONS link

• Office for National Statistics (2015). Ethnic differences in life expectancy and mortality from selected causes in England and Wales: 2011 to 2014. ONS link

• Tillin T, et al. (2012). Diabetes and coronary heart disease in South Asians compared with Europeans and African Caribbeans in the UK. SABRE Study. Diabetologia.

• Barnett K, et al. (2012). Epidemiology of multimorbidity and implications for health care, research, and medical education: a cross-sectional study. Lancet.