New data confirm that where you were born can be an indicator of how long you’ll live. Let’s start with a pretty well-known zip code. People born in the Beverly Hills, 90210 zip code have a life expectancy of 83 years. People born in Compton, 90220, just 22 miles south, are expected to live 76 years.
Daniel Zingale is with The California Endowment. He says your zip code can have a greater effect on your life expectancy than your genetic code.
"Whether we have access to the basics, like good, safe water and air. Safe places to exercise, parks," he says. "What our children get in their schools in terms of nutrition and exercise and their social and emotional health."
Zingale says the good news is the factors that shorten lives can be changed if there's the political will to do it.
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