Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Declining Life Expectancy in U.S.

Not since World War I and the Spanish Influenza of 1915-18 has America seen a decline in our national life expectancy like we're seeing today.  Is it some new super bug?  Something from outer space?  No, I think we can blame the Internet and the polarization of society for this one.

A baby born in 2017 is now expected to live to be just 78.6 years old, down from 78.7 the year before, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.  We rank #31 in the world which is terrible considering that America spends more on health care than any other nation on earth.  Clearly, we're not getting our money's worth!

The biggest reasons for our decline is an increase in suicides and drug overdoses.  I think both are directly connected to the polarization of our society fueled by the media and Internet.  Liver disease is the next major factor and that probably is related to our prepackaged meals and artificial ingredients to maintain freshness for longer periods.  The rest of the world prefers natural foods prepared daily.

We know how to live longer, better lives. Americans just choose to ignore it.

So sad.