People living longer: US study

Photo / National Centenarian Awareness Project

US census numbers are showing a sizeable increase in how many Americans are 100 or older.

The number of people who have hit the century mark has roughly doubled in the last 20 years and experts say it could at least double again by 2020.

Better health care gets most of the credit for the fact that the rate of 100-year-olds is going up.

Lynn Peters Adler founded the National Centenarian Awareness Project in 1985 and has run it ever since. She says centenarians often have a positive but realistic attitude, a love of life and sense of humour.

They also have spirituality and an ability to accept the losses that come with living that long.

- AAP