What are your thoughts on life expectancy in the United States? Should we improve, and if so, how?
Posted by Ok_Gas5386@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 120 comments
Life expectancy at birth in the United States was 76.4 years in 2021, several years lower than close peer nations, like Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Americans have higher infant mortality and higher drug overdose mortality than these countries.
Within the US there are significant gaps in life expectancy on the basis of geography, income, gender, and race. The discrepancy can be as much as 9 years comparing Hawaii to Mississippi, 14.6 years comparing rich men to poor men, 7.6 years comparing men to women in New Mexico, and 12.6 years comparing Asian Americans to American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
Do you agree that this is an important issue? What policies do you think would help address it?
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
No. This is mostly a lifestyle and freedom thing.
This is what, all the obese people and the wave of junkies. The junkies have gotten worse since a lot of urban areas lowered enforcement rates. It’s still self-inflicted but that causes a lot of additional crime. The obesity rates are also people doing it to themselves. They chose food over health. It’s funny that people existing in abundance are eating themselves to death as our primary health concern.
I don’t care about people killing themselves with fentanyl or corn syrup. They had their fun.
Life expectancy will go up a little as the illegal aliens get tossed. Same with the removal of junk food from food stamps. Same with the work requirements for social assistance. Unintended consequences but it is what it is.
There are so many other, more important metrics. Look at the increase in age of first time home buyers.
j_ly@reddit
Yep. Which is why slapping steep tariffs on Canadian lumber is absolutely asinine.
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
If you want to get into policy, that’s definitely not where I would start.
Also the Tariff dance has until July 9th. I suspect the Canadians will turn in their homework on the last day.
j_ly@reddit
It's fucking stupid. Tariffs are nothing more than government interference in the private sector. Construction and production should be left to the free market to conduct efficiently without government intervention.
True conservatives understand this.
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
Technically speaking you are taking a libertarian position.
Tariffs are historically conservative in the U.S. it was a primary funding mechanism before the income tax. I don’t understand your statement in this context?
Canada already had tariffs and other controls restricting trade. Technically there was no free trade. Renegotiating the trade doesn’t seem like a crazy idea.
j_ly@reddit
I learned something today. I always thought Smoot Hawley, which was a disaster, was done under FDR... but it was Hoover. So I stand corrected.
I know labor unions affiliated with US Steel have always pushed for steel tariffs.
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
I’m glad you enjoyed that.
Down the rabbithole you go.
When you’ve got a minute listen to TR speeches. A lot of similar problems. It makes you wonder how long things have been roughly the same. https://youtu.be/-FfhtDujhvU?si=W8FqhfYyAEOwzDcp
It’s moderately difficult to get any detail on the Square Deal but it’s a highlight.
I think you’ll enjoy everything from that period to the modern era. Maybe stretch it to start right after the civil war.
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
Our biggest problem isn’t healthcare, it’s our diet and food. More healthcare won’t fix the number of morbidly obese people we have. They’re a burden on both the healthcare system and on our life expectancy average.
alwaysboopthesnoot@reddit
Given high rates of overweight and obesity in other countries, like The UK or India, this isn’t just a USA thing. It’s a global problem. We may need cooperative methods and global solutions, to make a dent in it.
Health care and education relating to health care, plus affordable, easier access to nurses and doctors and community health care centers = better health outcomes, overall. Including lower rates of obesity and improving things like our abysmal maternal and infant mortality rates.
Better sexual health and hygiene education would lower rates of smoking, teen pregnancy and premature birth/low birth rate babies. Informing about childhood diseases and also explaining viral transmission to kids, teens and adults, typically increases vaccination rates which then lowers the risk of death from things like measles, whooping cough, flu, Covid etc.
Guns kill people in the US in very high numbers —-via both homicide and suicide, and no diet or pesticide free food is going to fix that. And, given the vast majority of gun deaths these days being suicides—more health care access and education surrounding mental illness and more affordable and readily accessible treatment for it, would be very helpful in reducing those numbers.
So would common sense, reasonable gun control and regulation—but particularly, much more harsh penalties for gun crimes including illegal storage, transport, sales, use and abuse of weapons that can kill—which, of course because of the injuries and trauma and rehab and need for long term medical care after most shootings, is a health care issue too.
Then, with farm workers, miners, fishers, construction and logging workers and teachers having higher risks of injury, attack, accident or death on the job, per capita, than police officers or active-duty military members? It would be very helpful if a fully functional and funded health and safety administration, health departments, plus affordable and readily accessible health care (particularly emergency response and disaster care services), would be in our best interest there.
Health care, health care, health care. It’s more than just clean eating and working out.
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
The UK’s obesity rate is almost half that of the United States and India’s is 5%, 8 times less than the US’s. India’s average life expectancy is also a decade less than the US. You have no clue what you’re yapping about.
Curmudgy@reddit
The UK rates have been going up over the last 40 years. This article on the issue is easy to read.
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
That does not change the fact that they’re almost half our obesity rate bud
Curmudgy@reddit
The point is they’re catching up. They’re over 60% of our obesity rate now (going by the Wikipedia article).
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
60% is still only 60%. Our obesity rate is the problem, pretending like “free” healthcare will fix that is wild.
Curmudgy@reddit
No one in this subthread has said that. The comment that introduced the subject of obesity rates in other countries was making the point that we need to take a much broader view of the issue. I believe that includes trying to understand why obesity rates in the UK are going up, but it also includes other things that lower our life expectancy besides obesity. Saying “Our obesity rate is the problem” is putting on blinders to the rest of the problem.
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
That is the problem. Shuffling our entire healthcare system just for an incremental improvement while not treating the actual disease is a crazy long shot. I’ll pass, thanks.
Curmudgy@reddit
I’m not following. To which shuffling of the healthcare system are you referring? I don’t perceive universal healthcare as just an incremental improvement nor as a diversion from actual disease treatment, so did you mean something else? Or did you mean that’s your perception of universal healthcare?
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
What does that transition look like to you? An easy one? A seamless one? A painless one? That’s the shuffle I’m referring to. If you think it’s any of the above then there’s no point in replying or continuing this.
Curmudgy@reddit
To universal healthcare? I don’t think it will be either easy or seamless. I’m not the one who made the claim that switching to universal healthcare will solve things.
I believe there’s potential for it producing significant savings, but that doesn’t mean I know how to get there, especially with the country divided as it is now.
A wild idea I have is to lower the Medicare age by five years at a time, every few years, so we can see how it goes incrementally. Maybe give employers more flexibility in not having to cover people on Medicare, and making it easier to get back onto traditional Medicare with supplements than it is for Medicare Advantage enrollees now. But that’s a blue sky idea, and I’m not going to claim enough expertise to defend IRMAA
Curmudgy@reddit
In case anyone questions your assertion about suicide rates, here’s one report supporting it: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/
devnullopinions@reddit
It is still a large problem in the US that many people do not do routine preventative care. There are many causes but I’ve known more people in my life that were physically in good shape but died of diseases that if caught earlier could have been mitigated.
SliceOfCuriosity@reddit
That happens in every country, here’s a great read on why obesity is our largest health related issue
Flibs-@reddit
It may be the brain worms I have from being online too much but it seems as though gym going and fitness in general have been way more in the spotlight over recent years.
It brings in a whole new can of worms because if body image shit perpetuated by roided out influencers, but still. The younger generation seems to have a way bigger emphasis on going to the gym than I recall people having.
Unable-Economist-525@reddit
Education that encourages healthy lifestyle choices, and resources to make doing so feasible. For example, my neighborhood has a couple of parked and a free community center with gyms, a pool, and other facilities to get people moving.
stillabadkid@reddit
Agree with everything except limiting highly processed foods for SNAP. Many highly processed foods are the shelf-stable stuff that are vital for people living in poverty who don't have access to stuff like cooking supplies or refrigeration. Frozen meals and canned stuff, as well as things like instant soups are also a life saver for lower income families, I know there have been times where I wouldn't have been able to afford to eat if not for food stamps covering items like that.
Unable-Economist-525@reddit
There are canned/jarred items which are more healthily prepared, and those which are not. Take the “are not” off the SNAP list. Same with frozen meals.
Incidentally, frozen meals are more cheaply assembled, and then placed in the freezer. It just take education to know this.
stillabadkid@reddit
This is just my high ramblings tbh so apologies if this is really long but, highly processed ≠ inherently unhealthy. There is a high correlation, but there are plenty of processed foods that are healthy. Also important to note that while it may be cheaper to buy bulk vegetables, prepare them, and freeze them, that takes a lot of time and effort. A working mother of 5 is not going to have time for all that, this is a huge part of why so many low income communities are overweight and suffering from conditions like diabetes at a higher rate in the U.S. There are definitely lots of people eating unhealthy and heavily processed foods out there who just need an education on nutrition and cooking, but if you don't have a kitchen how are you going to use that nutritional knowledge?
I think it would make 1,000x more sense to remove the accessibility restrictions on healthy food, as opposed to making it harder to access unhealthy food. Or even just stricter regulations on food production so that the things on the market are healthier for everyone, not just low income people. Plus, I think poor people still deserve to have treats and it's kind of crazy to give them money for food, but then judge restrict them on what foods are morally acceptable? When I was on snap I would still occasionally get takis or something, I'm still a person and I still wanted to have a treat once in a while.
Idk man think about having to know that you're not allowed to buy instant ramen because you're on the government's Poor People List
Curmudgy@reddit
I believe the nutrition experts who are presenting the issue to the general public have realized that “highly processed” and similar terms are the wrong choice of terms, and are trying to present things more in terms of chemicals being added. Of course, then the reactionaries come back with “vitamin c is a chemical”.
So we don’t yet have the right, simple term to describe the collection of things added to foods that are likely bad ideas. There’s general agreement that certain specific additives like nitrites are a bad idea, but nothing for the entire collection. Nor do we have quantifications to say things like “two hot dogs for the Fourth of July are ok, as long as that’s the only high saturated fat, nitrate and/or nitrite preserved red meat you have all year”. Or maybe twice a year is ok, but weekly isn’t, we don’t know where to draw the line, and it’s easier to just get rid of it all.
Unable-Economist-525@reddit
A working mom of five, provided with a free class along with food benefits which teaches her how to prepare and shop for food that will sustain and promote good health and growth in her family, will no longer be at the mercy of food companies who produce garbage with high profit margins taking advantage of a poverty of knowledge combined with a sad addiction to sugar and refined carbs.
Even better, grocery stores could sell pre-assembled bulk food packages comprising everything that is needed nutritionally with suggested recipes inside; kind of like fresh & healthy MREs.
Society is too poor for anyone to live on instant ramen. Cannot afford the healthcare from bad nutritional choices anymore.
Cornwallis400@reddit
It’s one of the most important issues in American history.
Unfortunately, it’s very complex. Part of it is our broken healthcare system, but if you REALLY examine the numbers, it comes down to one thing above all else: obesity.
Obesity is the number one driver of diabetes, chronic illness, heart disease and cancer in the United States. Why is Mississippi in such poor health compared to Hawaii? Look at the obesity rates.
Our obesity is caused by many things. We drive everywhere with minimal walking - because that’s how our cities are built. We snack constantly because fast food and grocery stores are open all day and night. The snack foods we get are low in fiber (so you’re never full), cheap (so you can buy a lot) and VERY high in calories.
There’s a lot of disinformation about how our whole food system is “poison” and in some cases there are questionable ingredients, but for the most part our horrible health is because we eat too much and exercise too little.
If you cut obesity by even 10% in the U.S., you’d see an exponential drop in deaths and chronic disease.
videogames_@reddit
Yup looked for this. Flawed healthcare but we are definitely very overweight too
Cornwallis400@reddit
Totally. It’s the biggest killer. It’s why there’s so much heart disease and chronic illness.
SkiingAway@reddit
It will be interesting to see the long-term results of GLP-1's on healthcare expenses, in that sense.
While they're not something I have or will ever need, it's remarkable how dramatic the results have been for a number of heavy acquaintances who I've never seen successfully lose a noticeable amount of weight before.
Cornwallis400@reddit
I agree. Makes me hopeful, especially if the cost of the drug comes down.
davidm2232@reddit
Longer life expectancy is bad for society. It is a tremendous cost supporting a retired population
Comfortable-Ad-6389@reddit
So people should die sooner?? What kind of devious logic is that
davidm2232@reddit
I'm not really sure what your question is. The longer someone lives during retirement, the bigger the burden they place on younger people who are still working. It's a massive issue in countries with aging populations. America will see it very soon as the boomers all retire and stsrt needing more medical care
willtag70@reddit
A preposterous take attempting to rationalize and justify a failed health care system. Perhaps we should just have a cutoff age, and terminate those above it for the benefit of the young. That's basically what we've done in a somewhat more cruel and unequal manner.
Curmudgy@reddit
It’s a failed retirement economics system. People haven’t been saving enough for retirement, increasing the burden on Medicaid as well as other social services and tax breaks. Medicare is actually pretty decent but continuing to fund it could be a problem.
willtag70@reddit
Many people can't afford to save for retirement, and those who can afford it least are being punished by having health care reduced and made more expensive. Exorbitant health care costs are a big part of what makes it harder for everyone to save for retirement. If we had much lower overall single payer health care the cost burden wouldn't be on businesses which would allow higher wages. It would also free each of us up to take whatever job we wanted, and not fear losing coverage from a layoff or while looking for work. Medical bankruptcy would be eliminated as it has been in every other major country. Medicare is pretty decent, which is why Medicare for everyone, birth to death, would be far better than our current system. But the current administration and the GOP are doing everything they can to undermine it and even make current Medicare privatized and more expensive, with worse coverage.
Curmudgy@reddit
I wonder how we attribute the difficulty in retirement savings to healthcare costs, as opposed to things like combining entertainment costs (TV) plus commuting costs plus housing expectations and costs, etc. I’d rather have a smaller house than lower retirement savings.
willtag70@reddit
Look at a list of health cost per capita by country. The US is the highest by a wide margin, nearly 2x the comparable country average, and they all have universal coverage. So we pay far more for less coverage and worse overall health. If the per capita difference of $6,000/year, or even half that for life per person were put into a retirement investment account, we'd have better health, and much higher retirement savings. Ask the politicians why we aren't doing that, or figure it out yourself.
Curmudgy@reddit
You need to look at the health cost paid by individuals for that to be correct. To the extent that it’s paid by taxes or insurance, that’s not money that individuals could put into retirement instead.
willtag70@reddit
It's the amount of money spent per capita for health care. We could fund health care and retirement accounts however we decide to. Right now we deduct money from payrolls to contribute to retirement (Social Security), retirement health care (Medicare), and each employer decides how to offer a health care benefit or not. So it's exactly a tax on employees. We could eliminate the payroll deduction, provide universal single payer health care (Medicare for all), and either have payroll deductions into retirement accounts, let individuals make their own investment investment choices, or have an income tax into a retirement fund for all. We can do whatever we want to do. There is no reason other than greed by the few that we can't have universal health care, better health outcomes at lower cost, and more retirement savings.
Curmudgy@reddit
You’re avoiding my question. People aren’t saving, and it’s not simply because they’re spending too much as individuals on health care. People aren’t voting for the sort of changes you want. (Well, I am, but I live in MA where we do better.) You can’t simply blame their choices on the greed of the few.
willtag70@reddit
Not sure which people you're talking about who aren't saving. SS and Medicare deductions from payrolls are not optional. So virtually everyone working is saving through those systems. I agree we are not voting for politicians who serve us more than themselves, and that's squarely on us mostly not being sufficiently informed about what the politicians are actually doing, what's possible in terms of health care and retirement plans, as well as too many of us being apathetic. I say "greed of the few" because all of our politicians are elected on the basis of representing our interests, not enriching themselves. But it's obvious that for many of them personal greed really is their primary agenda. They use misinformation and deception to convince the gullible that they are taking care of the "crises" that they promote, and claim they will save/protect us from. I do blame them for their deception and corruption, and I blame the voters for not being more informed and making better voting choices. It's a fully shared responsibility.
Curmudgy@reddit
Those aren’t savings. They’re taxes that provide insurance. Savings accounts, investment accounts, IRAs, and 401Ks are savings.
See for example https://finance.yahoo.com/news/survey-finds-42-americans-retire-100701878.html. There are plenty of other articles. While they differ on the exact numbers and the reasons, there’s widespread agreement that many Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement.
davidm2232@reddit
It's not about a failed Healthcare system. The reality is that being old costs society a lot of money, even with a good Healthcare system
willtag70@reddit
We spend FAR more per capita than any other country in the world on health care, with worse overall results. Your perspective is nonsense. We could have MUCH better, more equal health care, and resulting better overall heath, at much lower cost. You appear to think money is more valuable than life and health. The irony is we could have more money and better health if we would just elect politicians who serve us instead of themselves. But we elect them, so we've done this to ourselves. It's actually tragic.
davidm2232@reddit
Agreed. But you could also have both. Less expensive and less usage.
willtag70@reddit
Which is obviously Trump and the GOP's plan, taking specific aim at the most vulnerable. Take away access to care from those who can least afford it, save money which is pumped into the richest segment. Lower overall health and life expectancy, more wealth inequality, the sociopaths version of eating the poor, old and vulnerable to feed the rich. What a country.
j_ly@reddit
Nah. President Ocasio-Cortez is going to fling open the borders, and we'll have an abundance of sexy Venezuelan nurses to give us all sponge baths.
Infinite-Dinner-9707@reddit
I believe this is only a valid issue when there is a declining birth rate. If the birth rate is stable at replacement (not increasing) then the burden also is stable
davidm2232@reddit
Correct. But many countries, the US included, are seeing birthrates continue to drop
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
That's why MAGA likes post-birth abortions. Look at the money that could be saved by killing people early!
(/s)
SlothLover313@reddit
Such a terrible take
davidm2232@reddit
But also realistic
bryku@reddit
We need to eat fewer calories and move more.
I know people aren't going to like this answer, but there is a huge correlation between being over weight and a bunch of diseases.
However, this is a very difficult problem to solve on a large scale.
elonmusktheturd22@reddit
American bread is not legally called bread in any other country as its 25% sugar by weight, even fresh bakery bread. Canadian sliced bread in contrast is 1% sugar by weight and after tasting it you can tell American bread is all sugar. Canadian bread is found in a few places near me (on the border) and anyone who tastes the difference will drive 40 miles for bread from those truck stops.
Half the people i see are either overweight or morbidly obese due to the pure garbage the food is. 1/4 of the grocery store shelves are beer, chips, candy and cerial (basically pure sugar).
SkiingAway@reddit
This is utter nonsense, and has never been the norm.
It's not exactly hard to look at the nutrition facts on the loaf of bread. You're not going to find much bread that's like that. Even the absolute worst, sweetest loaves of bread I can think of are only pushing around ~9%. (White bread, bread with honey added)
As straightforward generic example from my largest local grocery chain: https://www.hannaford.com/product/hannaford-100-whole-wheat-bread/728012
1g of sugar in 25g bread. So....4% by weight. Most of the rest of the bread aisle is similar to that.
Reality is unless you're eating an entire loaf of bread or something similarly absurd (which would have a lot of other caloric/nutritional problems), sandwich bread is not going to be a significant amount of your sugar intake.
Curmudgy@reddit
Source? I’m betting those numbers refer to specific brands of bread.
Even the infamous Subway ruling in Ireland doesn’t come close to the 25% number. (That’s just comparing the weight of sugar to the weight of flour, so I’m assuming the weight of sugar to the total weight is even lower.)
elonmusktheturd22@reddit
I may be confusing the percentage with that of fruit juices
Subvet98@reddit
Even if the manufacturer doesn’t add sugar to fruit juice its has a high sugar content as they contain fructose naturally
Ok-Limit-9726@reddit
Usa is now 5 + years lower life expectancy, and 23x mortality. Australia 38 per 100,000 Usa last quarter 850 per 100,000
Usa is third world country
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Ok_Gas5386@reddit (OP)
Sources:
Life Expectancy in the US, comparison between states, comparison between gender
Income comparison
Infant mortality
Racial comparison
6501@reddit
You understand that other countries have a different definition of infant mortality that in part explains some of the difference right? IE we count more deaths as infant mortality than other countries.
Curmudgy@reddit
So skip the infant mortality article and learn from the other three, which are US only.
6501@reddit
The life expectancy at birth figures includes infant deaths.
ballrus_walsack@reddit
All of these links are broken for me.
Ok_Gas5386@reddit (OP)
Should be fixed now
tyoma@reddit
A major driver of low life expectancy at birth is drug overdoses and homicide. There are solutions to these problems but they are some combination of more policing (disliked by the left) and more restrictions on guns (disliked by the right).
lionhearted318@reddit
Healthcare needs to be more affordable and accessible. That’s really a must.
Impossible_Emu5095@reddit
We need more than just healthcare. The nations that are the “happiest” have a strong social safety net. People turn to alcohol, drugs, and other destructive behaviors because their basic needs are not being met.
If we had guaranteed access to quality healthcare, education, and retirement, it would vastly improve the lives of millions of Americans. And don’t tell me we have that now because we do not. We have a shell of that, and those who are well off have better access than those at the lower end of the income spectrum.
You know why so many people long for the halcyon days of the 1950s? Because we had all those things. But racism and unfettered capitalism destroyed them.
lionhearted318@reddit
I didn’t say only healthcare. I said we need healthcare. That is not incorrect.
Impossible_Emu5095@reddit
And I didn’t say anything against that. We need healthcare and more. You’re absolutely right, but healthcare is only one part of the entire picture of American health and lifespan.
lionhearted318@reddit
And I don’t disagree with that
Impossible_Emu5095@reddit
American health and lifespan is a very complicated topic and there are so many factors to consider. It’s a far deeper discussion than we can have here on a Reddit thread. But it is important to start the conversations, because the only way for meaningful change is for us to talk about it and engage as many people as possible in the discussion.
Major-Regret@reddit
Having read the differences between how European nations and the US measure infant mortality, I kinda think their metrics are bullshit tbh
Curmudgy@reddit
That’s an overstatement. Both methods of measuring are valid. It’s only the direct comparison of the two methods that’s invalid.
But even when that’s corrected, the US still comes out worse. I’m not going to claim the expertise to judge how good the authors’ method of correcting for those differences is.
Major-Regret@reddit
Oh I have no doubt we do come out worse, but surprise surprise the wealthier parts of the US compare favorably to the healthier parts of Europe.
Celtic_Gealach@reddit
Can you explain the differences?
Major-Regret@reddit
I know they don’t count stillbirths, basically a kid has to be born healthy and then die for it to count toward infant mortality. Whereas in the US if a woman gets pregnant with the intention of having a child and it doesn’t survive, it counts
Curmudgy@reddit
I don’t think it’s that extreme. I thought it’s just we have a more aggressive standard for viability that counts more deaths as infant death instead of counting them as stillbirths. But I haven’t found a clear, precise explanation of the differences.
TheBimpo@reddit
Sounds a lot like how literacy is defined differently in each country’s surveys. These things are crucial when drawing comparisons between places.
machagogo@reddit
We need to work on what many people believe is healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Also due to big-pharma a pill for every ill is the solution rather than lifestyle changes. People will often opt to just take a pill to offset a medical issue when an adjustment of diet can accomplish the same goal. (Not to say meds are never necessary)
PositiveGuess5603@reddit
I just wanted to add too, there are only two countries in the world who haven't made medicine ads illegal. The U.S. is one of them. If we didn't see medicine ads on T.V. there might be less people pushing for a pill. Pharma companies can say paid actor in their ads all they want, but they are very specifically pushing a narrative of "take this pill and all your issues will go away". Sometimes pills are necessary, but they are not always necessary.
Professional-Pungo@reddit
I'm ok with it being 76.
I wouldn't want to live in my 85s+ anyway I think. like what would I even do other than just sleep half of the day?
NoKindnessIsWasted@reddit
Do you KNOW and 85 year olds?
My mom was going to rap dance classes at 85. My father in law was still riding his motorcycle.
Many 80 year olds are helping raise grandchildren.
I was just at a 4th of July party and 80 year olds were playing volleyball.
My inlaws great grandparent died at 101. Only the last year did they even have a memory issue. They were volunteering with her town until her last couple years.
Professional-Pungo@reddit
I could go to an old folks home and look at plenty of 85+ year olds right now if I wanted.
look there are a few outliers sure that can be active, I won't deny that.
NoKindnessIsWasted@reddit
Outliers are those in a home.
It's less than 2% of 80 year olds.
Infinite-Dinner-9707@reddit
My 89-year-old grandmother and her 94 and 96 year old sisters would be so insulted if someone said all they did was sleep half the day LOL. Combined I don't think they sleep 8 hours. One Aunt still takes care of her farm animals, the other still sews most of her own clothes. My grandma is very active in volunteering in the community and traveling.
PoopDollaMakeMeHolla@reddit
It just boils down to individuals have the freedom to make bad choices. Better healthcare treats the symptom and not the problem. Most people eat a horrible diet and do not exercise. They are free to make those choices and it reflects in life expectancies.
NoKindnessIsWasted@reddit
That doesn't explain it.
Are you saying other countries or states just make better decisions?
PoopDollaMakeMeHolla@reddit
If you have spent any time outside the USA you can understand how much abundance of bad food there is here in America and how much easier it is to access. Sugar is in everything even when it doesn’t need to be. Fast food literally every 1/4 mile and up until the last few years it was actually pretty affordable and cheap. As for those states that have better rating than others it is absolutely individuals who make better decisions. Culture plays an important role as well. If you grew up around that life style being the norm then you are more likely to make those same decisions.
NoKindnessIsWasted@reddit
So affordable food that is cheap ?
Sugar in everything?
That doesn't seem to just be all personal choice.
Figgler@reddit
In a lot of ways, yes. Blue zones across the world eat better food, walk more and have tighter social circles. All those lead to longer life.
NoKindnessIsWasted@reddit
Blue zones have less meat, more plants, more walking.
There are reasons for those "choices". Public policy helps.
4-Inch-Butthole-Club@reddit
High infant mortality affects it and is a direct result of our shitty healthcare system. A lot of people also let easy to fix problems become serious ones because they don’t go to the doctor until it’s an emergency because they’re afraid of how much it’s going to cost. A different system could easily fix that.
I also think Americans are fatter than most of the world because we drive everywhere and never walk places. It’s not like Europeans go to the gym more than Americans. I moved to a place where I have to walk a lot and I lost 20 lbs the first year without even trying. And I was not eating healthy either.
PoopDollaMakeMeHolla@reddit
Infant mortality rate is not a good indicator because many countries do not define it the same way so it’s comparing apples to oranges.
Figgler@reddit
You’re right, diet and exercise is the key and it’s not really something the government is best equipped to address. Even if we had universal healthcare, we would still have a high rate of obesity. A cultural change is needed but I don’t think anyone knows how to induce it.
Flibs-@reddit
It may be the brain worms I have from being online too much but it seems as though gym going and fitness in general have been way more in the spotlight over recent years.
It brings in a whole new can of worms because if body image shit perpetuated by roided out influencers, but still. The younger generation seems to have a way bigger emphasis on going to the gym than I recall people having. Young men in particular.
terryaugiesaws@reddit
Quite clearly the way to improve healthcare outcomes is the same way that every other developed country has already done.
And frankly, it's baffling in 2025 that we’re still debating whether this is something that requires systemic change.
Every other high-income country has figured out that universal or single-payer healthcare is not only more just, but more efficient. It delivers better outcomes at lower cost, without bankrupting people for the crime of getting sick.
This requires addressing social determinants of health like housing, food security, education, and income inequality. Healthcare doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
U-1f419@reddit
I'm honestly more concerned about quality of life at 80+ my grandparents both made it to the late 90's and were not doing well at the end. Would you rather have a really good 80 years or a really good 70 years and then 25 bedridden years of decay?
No-Conversation1940@reddit
One of the most jarring things about moving to Chicago from the Ozarks was seeing retirement-aged people jogging. Growing up, I watched a lot of people die in their 40s and 50s including family members, and that included one of my parents.
I just kinda assumed that would be me, too. I invested for retirement but retirement was this abstract concept, saving because I felt like I should more because I had the expectation to reach it and to live off what I saved.
Status_Ad_4405@reddit
My thoughts are, like always, that the South has been dragging us down since day one. If we had let them go in 1861, the rest of us could have a great country.
I mean, look at those figures for Mississippi. Just dreadful. And their answer is more guns, bigger trucks, Jeebus, and tax cuts for rich people. People like that are electing our Presidents so we all have to put up with their shit.
Theycallmesupa@reddit
We work people until they're too sick to be worked and then they're left to figure it out on their own. "Low skill" workers most especially.
Which, y'know, fine, cool; gotta work to eat. But the focus has been on the productivity of a person rather than the care of a person, so we have a bunch of middle-aged burnt husks on the lower end of the scale.
If we're going to expect people to constantly work themselves to death for peanuts, the least we can do is take care of them.
And before someone comes with "they can just get a better job with healthcare and retirement;" Can they?
That sentiment has been echoed for so long, and we're all well aware that jobs are, in fact, not unlimited and there's only so many people who can occupy the "better" jobs while everyone else is supposed to just put up with the flaws of our system and hope for the best.
LoriReneeFye@reddit
For what purpose do we need to improve life expectancy?
We already have a population that is aging faster than "replacements" can be "produced" (although I don't blame anyone at all for not having children; I didn't and that was the right choice for me).
Unless 80-year-olds are suddenly going to become super fit and productive, what's the point of them living to be 100?
Are we supposed to be burdening younger generations with having to take care of us old farts? (I'm almost 67, technically an old fart, or that's how GenZ sees me anyway.)
Live your best life every day, grow old as gracefully as possible, and "bow out" when it's your time to go.
If you live in Mississippi and you notice that everyone around you is overweight and unhealthy, LEAVE. Move somewhere else and "live better." Don't tell me you "can't." RIGHT THIS MINUTE, someone in a less fortunate place in the world is running from WAR with whatever they can carry -- probably a child.
There aren't enough resources that people are willing to share for everyone to live forever, and all the young people are already tired of our stories, tired of us hobbling around and getting in their way.
If there's an "important issue" here, it's people trying to live longer than is necessary or helpful.
Numerous_Map_8127@reddit
A lot of our countrymen are fat. I think you will see it improve dramatically once most of the country gets on Ozempic.
Infinite-Dinner-9707@reddit
I don't know if it's true, but I read that one of the contributors to the life expectancy in the US is extraordinary measures we use to keep infants with birth defects and micro preemies alive through birth. I don't know how many micro preemies are born every year or how much that could affect statistically, but it was an interesting thought
Ganymede25@reddit
The US is a technologically advanced country with cutting edge healthcare. However, our healthcare has been controlled by capitalism, the insurance industry, and the for profit healthcare industry. When you look at other technologically advanced countries with good healthcare, you will understand that if you get a heart attack or in a bad car accident in say Stockholm, Toronto, Tokyo, London, or Berlin, that the care you would receive in such an emergency would be equivalent. We all know this. However, if you look at the deduction for medical from your paycheck compared to citizens living in those other countries, you will realize that we are paying more for the same thing and thus are getting a poorer financial return on investment. It is ok that the US tried a different path. I applaud trying new approaches to known problems. Sometimes this is why the US creates amazing things despite risks. However, we need to sober up and face the fact that for the most part, we receive a shitty deal and healthcare costs so much that people would rather avoid the doctor because they fear the financial devastation by seeking help. If you don't take care of your body and embrace regular checkups and preventative care, then are risking a higher likelihood of death compared to people who live in other advanced countries.
LarryGoldwater@reddit
Americans reject public health management and will spring an efficient black market on anything that's restricted.
willtag70@reddit
Life expectancy is a good indicator of overall health of a society. The US currently ranks 48th, a very bad reflection of the state of our health care system, and an indictment of the politicians who make the laws governing it. Profit for the few above health for all. But we the voters elect them, so we've done this to ourselves.
https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/
That_Girl_Cray@reddit
We should focus on improving quality of life first
Oodalay@reddit
Traffic fatalities have a huge impact. We have to drive everywhere in America. The number one selling vehicle is trucks and large SUVs, creating an arms race on the interstate.
Rich-Contribution-84@reddit
1) Obesity. This one is complex but our people have to spend more time playing sports, jogging, swimming, cycling, playing tennis, etc. and we have to eat better.
2) Access to healthcare. The U.S. arguably has the best quality healthcare (or close to it) in the world. But it’s out of reach for many people who lack resources.
These two are the biggest ones by far.
CraftFamiliar5243@reddit
It is dropping, and between the way the health system is run and the state of insurance, compounded by the current administration and RFK Jr's whacked out approach to public health it will get worse.
IceManYurt@reddit
You know they did studies regarding wine consumption or olive oil or other factors in European countries.
You know what the common denominator was: socialized healthcare.
Who would of thunk it?
TweeksTurbos@reddit
Yes it is important but this would cut into the profits of the corporations that buy our politicians.
GoldwingGranny@reddit
It will obviously trend lower due to Trump policies. Just look at the people who have died in Texas this week after not getting sufficient notice from the National Weather Service which has has their funding severely cur.