Life Expectancy Indicates A Nation’s Overall Well Being – So Why Is America’s Dropping?

Life Expectancy Indicates a Country’s Overall Well Being—So Why Is Ours Dropping?

• The last time U.S. life expectancy declined at birth
  • 1992-1993: 75.8 to 75.5 years
  • Resulting from high death rates from AIDS, flu epidemic, homicide, and accidental deaths
• After years of life expectancy gains, there is decline all across the board
  • 2014-2015: 78.9 to 78.8 years
    • Death rates rose for 8 out of 10 leading causes of death
    • Heart disease causes more than 4X as many deaths as the rest of the leading causes
    • Prescription opioid painkillers and heroin abuse are probably fueling increases in unintentional injuries
      • In 2014, the CDC reported 28,000 died due to opioid overdoses

Life Expectancy Indicates

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In 2015, Obesity Related Problems Caused 10% of US Deaths

• Obesity increases the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
  • 6 million or ? of Americans are obese
  • Being 40 lbs overweight cuts about 3 years off life expectancy
  • Being 100 lbs overweight reduces lifespan by about 10 years
• The US has higher obesity rates than countries with longer lifespans
  • Japan 3.3%
  • Switzerland4%
  • Germany 20.1%
  • Spain 23.7%
  • United Kingdom 28.1%
  • Australia 28.6%
  • USA 33.7%

Obesity Related Problems

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America is Seriously Lagging Behind in Global Life Expectancy

• 28th globally in average life expectancy – dead last among industrialized countries
  • 1st: Japan, 83.7 years
  • 2nd: Switzerland, 83.3 years
  • 3rd: Spain, 83.3 years
  • 7th: Australia, 82.4 years
  • 19th: United Kingdom, 81.4 years
  • 22nd: Germany, 81.2 years
  • 28th: USA, 78.8 years

Lagging Behind in Global Life Expectancy

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Richer Americans Live Longer Than the Poor and Middle Class

• Men
  • 1980
    • Poorest—76.2
    • Lower middle—76.3
    • Middle—76.5
    • Upper Middle—79.9
    • Richest—82.6
  • 2010
    • Poorest—76.1
    • Lower middle—78.3
    • Middle—83.4
    • Upper middle—87.8
    • Richest—88.8
• Women
  • 1980
    • Poorest—82.5
    • Lower middle—81.5
    • Middle—82.5
    • Upper middle—83.2
    • Richest—86.1
  • 2010
    • Poorest—78.3
    • Lower middle—79.7
    • Middle—82.9
    • Upper middle—83.1
    • Richest—91.9
• While US wage inequality is only getting worse
  • 1979
    • Poorest 20%
      • Received 6.2% of national income
    • Richest 20%
      • Received 44.9% of national income
    • 2010
      • Poorest 20%
        • Received 5.1% of national income
      • Richest 20%
        • Received 51.9% of national

Richer Americans Live Longer

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US Healthcare System

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