The declining life expectancies in the US

[Keith Wilson]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Predatory corporate behavior. Destruction of meaningful laws regulation by purchased politicians (of all flavors). Evil enough to go around the table several times. . . . yadayada

Recency bias, and an almost-terminal overdose of cynicism. The problems mentioned are certainly real, but they've been going on for a long time,and the life expectancy drop is a very recent phenomenon, mostly due to Covid.

[dutchpp]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

^ you elect these people??????
(the Alaskan one)

[David G]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

^ you elect these people??????
(the Alaskan one)

Yes, sometimes and increasingly. One of the side-effects of crafting legislative districts is to promote division and excess.

[Ted Hoppe]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Recency bias, and an almost-terminal overdose of cynicism. The problems mentioned are certainly real, but they've been going on for a long time, and the life expectancy drop is a very recent phenomenon, mostly due to comorbidities due a varieties of factors including obesity and diabetes
.

Fixed to reflect why many are sick today with large scale inflammation and reflected during covid deaths.

[Keith Wilson]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Mr. Eastman is from Wasilla, Alaska, as was Sarah Palin. Something in the water?

[stromborg]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Recency bias, and an almost-terminal overdose of cynicism. The problems mentioned are certainly real, but they've been going on for a long time,and the life expectancy drop is a very recent phenomenon, mostly due to Covid.

There's that "greatest healthcare system inthe world" at work for you

[Keith Wilson]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

There's that "greatest healthcare system in the world" at work for you

Depend on how you measure 'greatest'. We're #1 by far in cost per capita!

[Ted Hoppe]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

There's that "greatest healthcare system inthe world" at work for you

If you have the money - it is the greatest healthcare you can get. Good insurance is not enough if you can't see a doctor.

[LeeG]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

According to that article, 1 in 25 5-year-olds won't live to 40, largely due to guns.

not diabetes and obesity?

[Kevin T]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

So, there really is a 3rd world country inside the 1st world America?

Absolutely there are sections of the country where third world status is a given, with maybe the exception that there is indoor plumbing.

[LeeG]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Depend on how you measure 'greatest'. We're #1 by far in cost per capita!

Kinda like the Pentagon budget and misuse of military capabilities. We must have money to burn.

[Keith Wilson]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Kinda like the Pentagon budget and misuse of military capabilities.

I'd say it shows two things: First is inequality, similar to the US being very wealthy overall but with a much higher Gini index than other rich countries. Some folks get excellent health care; some get crappy care, and the difference is a lot higher than the US than most other places. This brings down the average. The second is inefficiency; the absurdly complicated way we have of paying for health in the US is very costly in itself; administrative costs per capita are at least 3X that of the next highest countries (data here)

[David W Pratt]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Makes a good starting point to discuss national health.

[stromborg]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US


Looking at this chart I have to wonder how much of the difference between the US and those other countries is due to relatively lax regulation around food additives here in the US. Cultural attitudes towards food play inti this as well, we've all seen the stories about how the US/westernization of the Japanese diet has contributed to a rise in illness not seen there before.

Maybe if we focused a bit more on the the things that keep us healthy instead of waiting to get sick we would be in a better position on healthcare spending.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

"Reef early"

"Don't eat anything your (non-chemist) grandmother wouldn't recognize"

[Keith Wilson]

Re: The declining life expectancies in the US

Looking at this chart I have to wonder how much of the difference between the US and those other countries is due to relatively lax regulation around food additives here in the US.

If I had to bet, very little. I think most of it is the large variation in the quantity and quality of health care people get compared to countries with national systems, and the astoundingly complex system of for-profit private insurance that generates administrative costs much greater than elsewhere.

If you look at the graph, the US is a total outlier. Diet and lifestyle and habits, good or bad, vary hugely between those other countries. Spain and Germany and Japan? Finland and South Korea? The one obvious way in which the US is totally different is the organization of providing and paying for health care, and the vastly greater percentage of it that's private and for-profit.