Ying-Ying Meng is co-director of the Center’s Chronic Disease Program and the author of a new report on the health of Japanese-Americans. In this brief interview, Meng discusses how Japanese-Americans may represent the future of aging in the U.S., the role traditional habits may play in healthy aging among Japanese, and what being multiracial means health-wise for all races.

Q: Why do you say Japanese-Americans are "a window" into America's future as an aging nation?

​According to the Census Bureau, America will have 89 million seniors by 2050 ― double the number of seniors it had in 2010. But today, the Japanese-American population already has a high percentage of seniors ― 24 percent of all Japanese-Americans, while seniors of all races only make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. That's why it makes sense to study the health and health behaviors of the Japanese-American population now to see what the prevalent health conditions of their aging population are and if their "secrets" to staying healthy can be extended to the general population.

Q: Is there something unique about the health and health behaviors of Japanese-only population?

​Although the aging population does have some health issues and they do not meet some healthy targets set by the state, they are doing well in many health indicators. This may be due to healthy lifestyles preserved by the Japanese-only group. You may know two of the oldest people in the world are 117-year-old Misao Okawa and 112-year-old Sakari Momoi of Japan. Many Japanese-only Americans may still eat a lot of fish, broth and fresh produce, and they eat meals in moderation. They also walk or walked extensively when young. We can study more about the Japanese-Americans' healthy lifestyle and dietary habits and promote them for healthy aging among all Americans.

Q: Your study found that multiracial Japanese-Americans have worse health habits than those who are Japanese-only. If multiracial Japanese start emulating their Japanese grandparents' health habits, will they stay healthy as they age?

​That's what we need to find out. Being a multiracial Japanese-American doesn't automatically mean your health will be worse. It's the health behaviors that you pick up that may matter. Our report found mixed-race Japanese, who are primarily younger, ate more fast food and were less likely to get flu shots. If they keep doing that and shy away from healthy eating and exercise habits, perhaps their health could be worse when they age compared to current Japanese seniors. Otherwise, they could become the new "healthy" seniors of the future.