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There's been a downward tick in US Life Expectancy. Too early to say if it's a trend.
My mother lived to be 92, at home until her last heart attack as she was packing for a winter vacation in FL. Her sister lived to be 92 also (on her own and driving thru age 90) and her brother lived to celebrate is 100th birthday (stopped driving at age 97). My Dad died of a work-related disease (Coal Workers Disease, aka Black Lung) yet he still lived to nearly 80, even with that.
I had a conversation with a stranger the other day (about my age early/mid 60s) and he said he felt our generation would not see the 90s as an average lifespan. He based his theory mostly on the change in US diet; that our parents (even through the Depression) ate better. Fresher vegetables (not so much pesticides and more families lived on farms), less and leaner meats, no fast-food, most meals made at home from scratch, not as many preservatives and additives, etc. Also he said, less stress generally. Whereas us Boomers were the ones first exposed to frozen dinners, lots of soda (comparatively), fast food, boxed foods at home, Wonder Bread, etc. And many of us Boomers put career before most anything else, keeping up with the Joneses, etc. which was/is a stressful lifestyle.
Realize this is quite the generalization, but I think my new buddy is on to something. Not necessarily something good for us Boomers.
Let's not forget our terrible healthcare system. Lack of health care in the younger years affects lifespan. It's best to nip problems in the bud rather than try to medicate an existing condition when you're older. That includes dental maintenance. The lack of good dental care for kids and young adults can create medical problems.
Working a lot isn't necessarily stressful, if one likes one's work. Some people thrive on a hectic schedule, living in big cities, being surrounded by a lot of action.
That downward tick is well understood. It's mostly white people (plus some blacks) in the Rust Belt, in Appalachia, and other communities in decline. Imagine going from high paid factory work to working at WalMart (or worse). Then the opioids kick in. That's all she wrote.
Yep, that's where it's at. A fairly small, though significant, minority (~10%) of my graduating high school class (2004) is already dead, and I'd wager almost none of these outlived their parents. Probably three quarters of those deaths are overdose/drug/DUI related.
I was friends with a set of twins who were a few months younger than me - beautiful and brilliant. One died at the end of 2015 after an overdose and years long battle with opoid abuse. The other mostly dealt drugs (sister's death did not get her on the straight and narrow), occasionally used, and her mom posted on Facebook Sunday that the living twin is now in the hospital with double pneumonia and is "touch and go." She's only 30 and mom said she had no insurance. Mom is probably about 60, has lupus, and doesn't seem to be in the best of shape herself. The dad was a coal miner and is disabled from black lung.
I highly doubt the remaining twin makes it to 35. She's had numerous medical crises - combine that with the drugs and no insurance, she'll be gone soon.
Think about it like this. Take a graduating class like mine where a significant number of people don't even make it to 30. For every person that dies at 30, someone has to make it to 90 to get the average up to just 60. With 10% of the class dead by 30, a fairly large portion of the class is going to have to make it in their 90s.
With medical advances and such, I'm not saying it's not possible that we won't "outlive our parents" collectively, but it's going to be difficult with that many dead young.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bpollen
Let's not forget our terrible healthcare system. Lack of health care in the younger years affects lifespan. It's best to nip problems in the bud rather than try to medicate an existing condition when you're older. That includes dental maintenance. The lack of good dental care for kids and young adults can create medical problems.
Working a lot isn't necessarily stressful, if one likes one's work. Some people thrive on a hectic schedule, living in big cities, being surrounded by a lot of action.
This is true as well. I used to work in a remote area of southwest Virginia. The area is among the most indigent in the country. Relatively few people live there, but for the few who do, it can be a good hour back "to town" for any sort of medical need at all. Some of these communities do not even have a family doctor or urgent care clinic, much less a dentist or hospital. Some of these communities are pushing two hours away from a hospital. When you're that isolated, poor, and lack insurance, you'll probably die young. A generation ago, drugs weren't as big of a problem and the area was doing better.
While my folks died relatively young, I look at my MIL in assisted living at 90. She's got dementia, mainly a loss of short term memory, and a big loss of mobility and stamina. Her life is pretty much the inside of the AL home, and the little trips to the store we take her on. She no longer wants to go to the theater or even a restaurant because it's too stressful and confusing for her. She frequently says (she repeats things a lot) that she's lived too long and was ready to "go" five years ago. I'm not sure I would want to live that long.
While my folks died relatively young, I look at my MIL in assisted living at 90. She's got dementia, mainly a loss of short term memory, and a big loss of mobility and stamina. Her life is pretty much the inside of the AL home, and the little trips to the store we take her on. She no longer wants to go to the theater or even a restaurant because it's too stressful and confusing for her. She frequently says (she repeats things a lot) that she's lived too long and was ready to "go" five years ago. I'm not sure I would want to live that long.
See, that's the thing. My ex husband and Father to my dear children, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His wife, after taking such good care and being his companion; let him go to AL. He has been there for 2 years. He also has Parkinson's and is suffering beyond words. I thought that Alzheimer's patients could not feel pain. I don't know where that idea came from. He does feel every ounce of pain. It is so heartbreaking for my children, and his wife, to see their tough old fireman/farmer Dad suffering this way. Their Dad is 77.
My kids, are so good to their Dad. I am so proud of them all. One son, plays country music to his Dad; and gets a smile from him. My ex, loved life, (also the ladies; I don't even begrudge him that, anymore.) hiking, hunting, fishing.....we lived in Alaska, talk about hunting and fishing!! Wish he could remember some of those good times..............maybe, he does.
Anyway, quality is everything, I truly hope and pray that the powers that be can spend money on cures for these horrendous diseases, so people can enjoy their time in retirement, or whatever they want to do.
I've already lived past my father. He died at 48. I have about 4 more years to out live my mother. It depends on what my gene pool has in store for me if I out live my mother.
My grandparents were late 90's, my parents late 80's. They all ate sugar and butter and fatty meats, though were teetotalers and non-smokers. They were fairly affluent, so I wonder why the 10-yr. decrease? At the end dad had blocked heart arteries and mom was ridden with cancer; neither diagnosed even though they had Medicare and lots of check-ups. Seems like that is still "natural causes" at that age.
So I'm guessing late 70's for me. I can't do better than them in many ways....
Both of my parents died at the age of 53 (one cancer, the other a mystery illness). I am currently 53. However, I am relatively healthy and my two older sisters are 60 and 58. My mother's parents were 89 and 95 and father's 85 and 69. I assume I will at least live to 70.
Let's not forget our terrible healthcare system. Lack of health care in the younger years affects lifespan. It's best to nip problems in the bud rather than try to medicate an existing condition when you're older. That includes dental maintenance. The lack of good dental care for kids and young adults can create medical problems.
Working a lot isn't necessarily stressful, if one likes one's work. Some people thrive on a hectic schedule, living in big cities, being surrounded by a lot of action.
It's not our "terrible healthcare system", it's largely poor behavior. Brush your freakin' teeth and don't eat junk carbs. Eat nutritious food. Get exercise. Don't smoke. Don't do drugs. Don't abuse alcohol.
Most people don't need any health care until they're pretty old beyond routine inoculations we're all supposed to get before they allow us into the public school system and sports medicine. If you weigh 500 pounds, shoot heroin, chain smoke, eat the dollar menu 3 meals per day, and/or sit home watching TV, you're going to have a shortened lifespan.
Affluent people are healthy because of their behavior, not because they have a crack team of world class physicians monitoring their every breath. Poor people are poor largely because they make poor decisions. Part of those poor decisions are the behavior things that shorten their lifespan. You don't need a $100/day food budget to eat healthy. You don't need a $10K country club membership to get daily exercise. In 2017, what kind of moron still smokes cigarettes?
A pretty good estimate is (mother + father)/2 + 3. So 86 for me. I'm 62, in pretty good health, not perfect, but they have cures for things that used to kill you.
That means I'm a goner before this December! Better get planning my dream vacation.....
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