US Life Expectancy Hits a New High of 78

[tj2001]

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/age-/630189.html

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Life expectancy in the United States has reached almost 78 years, a record high, federal health officials said Wednesday. Not only has life expectancy increased, but the death rate has dropped to an all-time low of 760.3 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is difficult to say for sure why this trend continues," said report author Robert N. Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch, at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. "We are making improvements in medical care and prevention. There are lots of factors that could be in play," he noted.

"If you look at all the demographic groups, we are making improvements across the board," Anderson said. "Life expectancy has been increasing for the last 50 years or so, and the mortality rate has been coming down steadily as well." Anderson noted that life expectancy in the United States is still lower than in many other industrialized countries, including Canada and Japan.

[Cha]

1. I was at the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York,

last Thursday, and in the gift shop they had little books on what was happening in different years around his Presidency.

I got 1944 and it said life expectancy then was 62.9 years and gasoline was 15 cents per gallon.

[endless october]

2. this chart puts it in better perspective :

[WePurrsevere]

5. "In better perspective".. wow... I'll say... 27th out of 31 in life expectancy...

yet number 1 in cost for health spending. :(

That chart should be blown up big enough to read from a distance and used as a protest sign at Health Care events... perhaps highlighting those countries with universal health care.

Thanks for posting that. I'm finding the source'ss site, Univ of CA's Atlas of Global Inequality, very interesting as well. B-)

[BolivarianHero]

7. They actually have data for San Marino?

I'd have just lumped it in with Italy. I mean, my hometown has more people than San Marino, and people in the bigger cities around it laugh at how small it is.

[endless october]

8. agreed.

that chart drove it home for me, and i admit being on the fence a bit simply because i'm scared shitless of the deficit spending.

if we're shooting for Japan's system, that seems to be the one that's really working for life expectancy. but it does have a public option. that seems non-negotiable in my opinion. no public option, and it approaches worthless.

[bluethruandthru]

3. Yes, my rabid, right wing coworker is running around showing this

as proof of our great health care system!

[WePurrsevere]

6. Counter with the chart shown in post #2.

and this sentence from the OP above, "Anderson noted that life expectancy in the United States is still lower than in many other industrialized countries, including Canada and Japan."

For what we spend we SHOULD have the best health care in the world but sadly what we have isn't.

There's no shame in admitting we have a serious problem. The true shame lies with the RW/Freeper fool tools who allow others (like Rush, etc) to use their ignorance and fears to manipulate them into fighting against our country's long term best interests.

[LuvNewcastle]

4. I wonder how long it'll be

when they start the death panels.:scared: :silly: