AHMEDABAD: Census 2011 data has revealed that Jains in India have the highest percentage of members in the above-70 age group, among major religious communities. Also, the percentage of above-70 Jains in Gujarat (6.66%) is higher than the community’s national average (5.55%). While Muslims had the lowest percentage of community members in the above-70 age group, both all over India (2.74%), and in Gujarat (2.95%), the percentage was higher in Gujarat than across India.The general percentage of the populace in the above-70 age group in Gujarat is 3.52%, less than the national average of 3.62%. The percentage of people in the same age group among Jains in the state is almost double the state average. The Christian community in the state is the closest with 4.08% population above 70 years.The Jain lifestyle has even caught the attention of Societe de Formation Therapeutique du Generaliste (SFTG) (Society of Therapeutic Education of General Practitioners) in Paris, France, and Institut universitaire de medecine de famille (Institute of Family Medicine), in Lausanne, Switzerland. A team of 20 doctors from the institutes visited the state recently and interacted with Jain monks and experts to learn about Jain diet, way of life and concept of health.Jitendra Shah, director of LD institute of Indology, said, “I feel that simple lifestyle coupled with rules has led to increase in lifespan of Jain community members. They stay away from unhealthy habits and even stop eating at night after a certain age. This helps them to reduce various stomach related disorders. The religion has a number of ethoses such as respect to life, vegetarianism and practices like always consuming filtered water among others, that have played a major role in increasing longevity.”Meanwhile, Dr Hanif Lakdawala, a practising doctor and a social activist, said that the reduced life span among members of minority communities is directly related to poor health services and poverty. Majority of the population stays in slums with unhygienic conditions. “The low literacy rate among the community leads to late detection of diseases, delayed treatment and early casualties.”