Posted on 07/11/2011 7:41:57 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
New life expectancy figures show Americans some way behind countries like Canada, the UK and Australia. Why?
Living in the world's richest country comes at a price, and it's measured in life years.
Men in the US are on average aged 75 when they die. That is 1.5 years younger than men in the UK and 3.5 years younger than men in Australia, says a new study.
American women live on average to just under 81 - about three years younger than the average Australian woman.
While life expectancy in the US continues to improve, says the report by researchers at University of Washington in Seattle and Imperial College, London, it is not increasing as quickly as in other Western countries, so the gap is widening.
"The researchers suggest that the relatively low life expectancies in the US cannot be explained by the size of the nation, racial diversity, or economics," says the document, which ranks the US 38th in the world for life expectancy overall.
"Instead, the authors point to high rates of obesity, tobacco use and other preventable risk factors for an early death as the leading drivers of the gap between the US and other nations."
"We weren't surprised that we had lower life expectancies than other countries, but we were surprised by the fact that we were falling further behind," says Dr Ali Mokdad, professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
Take a country like Australia, he says. "It also has a nation of immigrants. It also is a relatively young country. It has similar socioeconomic characteristics.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Fast Cars and faster women...
Cooking with Statistics 101.
Are we playing footsie with the average as opposed to the median?
As I’ve heard, if we’re talking average lifespan, the Euros never include infant deaths in their figures.
Or so I’ve heard.
Maybe we keep better statistics than they do.
I would first look at how the infant deaths are calculated. I’ll bet the calculations themselves are different, favoring the Brits in this case.
Working a 40+ hour week will kill quicker than a 38 hour week?
They keep forgetting to subtract time fishing and FReeping.
We are heavier.
“Damn lies and statistics” ....everytime I see the USA compaired with third world nations, I think, “These countries have no infrastructure and we’re supposed to come in behind them in several (health) categories?”
It’s all in how numbers are reported.
We’re in a bigger hurry to go partying with Jeezus, dude!
because we calculate the statistics differently
Socialism keeps you alive longer, that’s a fact!
Well then, I’m convinced. We must switch to a national health care system, just like the Brits./s
Yep.
I think Cuba starts the infant mortality thing a day or two after they are born while the US counts stillbirths. Every country counts them up differently.
Americans die to get to the pearly gates but the Brits would settle for the pearly teeth.
Just described the black community. Factor out the life expectancy by race (not that I ever expect to see it) and watch what happens.("other preventable risk factors" include diabetes, gun violence, AIDS, drug overdose and alcohol addiction.)
>>With today’s technology, you can fish while FReeping, or is it FReep while fishing?<<
I think it is called “phishing...?”
...maybe if our statistics only included Americans we’d do better...not sure, but I suspect so.
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