If the baby grew to become a 20 year old, he/she could expect to make it another 37 years on average according to a New York Times article. That difference of 20 years doesn’t exist anymore because infant (and small children) mortality is no longer a factor in our life expectancy.
So hold on, then why are American women having their life expectancy shortened according to a study out from the University of Wisconsin. That study found that 43 percent of the nation’s counties had declining life expectancies for women, especially disadvantaged white women. Many experts point to the high levels of obesity and smoking rates. For quite a while, a woman’s life expectancy has been longer than a man’s but that gap has been narrowing since the 1980s. Here’s an article about the study results.
What should be frustrating for Americans if not particularly American women is that American’s rank 51 in the world for life expectancy even though longevity has been linked to affluence. A new study found that any gains we are experiencing in life expectancy are happening mostly to those at the upper end of the income ladder.
Once again, we come back to the correlation between a good retirement and your health. Take care of your most important asset so it can help take care of you.
