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China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

reuters.com

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Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#51

Post by adventured »

dv_dt wrote: post #30
adventured wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Although, it also wouldn't be terribly surprising for China to pass the US on this metric. When you look at the obesity numbers: US 36%, New Zealand 31%, Canada 29%, Australia 29%, UK 28%, Israel 26%, Ireland 25% Thailand 10%, Indonesia 7%, China 6%, Philippines 6%, South Korea, 5%, Vietnam 2% Vietnam's life expectancy will overtake the US in the next 10-15 years as well most likely (they're about three year…

It's not just obesity that drives poor US life expectancy performance. Mexico's life expectancy is projected to rise meet the US life expectancy by 2030, and they're a nation with a fairly high obesity percentage. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/22/us-life-expectancy-is-low-an... We have to acknowledge that the lack of Universal Healthcare in the US is a big driver of our poor life expectancy showing.

Without question. The US for example had a higher life expectancy than New Zealand during the 1980s, then the US began to trail off and fall behind. Now it's ~2.7 years behind New Zealand. The US was also ahead of the UK as recently as 1983.

What changed? A few big things. Healthcare in the US became wildly expensive after the 1980s, following an extreme cost increase far beyond inflation, whereas before it was not far out of line vs other developed nations (eg share of GDP spent on healthcare; today it's commonly 2x the next closest nations on cost). And obesity exploded dramatically higher after the early to mid 1980s. Diets overloaded with sugar, carbs, high fructose corn syrup in everything, drive thrus as a routine, etc.

I do believe universal healthcare would have prevented that life expectancy gap from opening up between the US and the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Based on the expectancy increase path the US was on as recently as the early 1980s, it should be at 82-83 years now, rather than 78.x.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#52

Post by pcr0 »

platinumrad wrote: post #40
l33tbro wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't think that trivialises the issue just a touch? We're talking about an institutionised score which effectively administers your social mobility.

You're talking about SAT scores right? Or did you mean US credit scores, which are maintained by three opaque and unaccountable private corporations. More seriously, yes, the explicit social credit system that China seeks to establish is evil. But the west isn't much different.

SAT scores decide where one can go for university. Credit scores decide interest rates and loan approvals.

Social credit score decides whether one can board a plane or a train, or whether your child can get into a school of their choice. Furthermore, your score is influenced by the people you associate with, and vice-versa.

One of those concepts is very different from the other, in practice.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#53

Post by ardent_uno »

dv_dt wrote: post #30
adventured wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Although, it also wouldn't be terribly surprising for China to pass the US on this metric. When you look at the obesity numbers: US 36%, New Zealand 31%, Canada 29%, Australia 29%, UK 28%, Israel 26%, Ireland 25% Thailand 10%, Indonesia 7%, China 6%, Philippines 6%, South Korea, 5%, Vietnam 2% Vietnam's life expectancy will overtake the US in the next 10-15 years as well most likely (they're about three year…

It's not just obesity that drives poor US life expectancy performance. Mexico's life expectancy is projected to rise meet the US life expectancy by 2030, and they're a nation with a fairly high obesity percentage. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/22/us-life-expectancy-is-low-an... We have to acknowledge that the lack of Universal Healthcare in the US is a big driver of our poor life expectancy showing.

So Mexico has better healthcare for the average person than the US? Hardly.

As mentioned elsewhere, overdoses are significantly impacting average lifespan figures.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#54

Post by drharby »

dv_dt wrote: post #30
adventured wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Although, it also wouldn't be terribly surprising for China to pass the US on this metric. When you look at the obesity numbers: US 36%, New Zealand 31%, Canada 29%, Australia 29%, UK 28%, Israel 26%, Ireland 25% Thailand 10%, Indonesia 7%, China 6%, Philippines 6%, South Korea, 5%, Vietnam 2% Vietnam's life expectancy will overtake the US in the next 10-15 years as well most likely (they're about three year…

It's not just obesity that drives poor US life expectancy performance. Mexico's life expectancy is projected to rise meet the US life expectancy by 2030, and they're a nation with a fairly high obesity percentage. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/22/us-life-expectancy-is-low-an... We have to acknowledge that the lack of Universal Healthcare in the US is a big driver of our poor life expectancy showing.

Thats a pretty big assertion.

I'm almost tempted to say it is political advertising, but I'd sooner admit it is just emotional dialogue

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#56

Post by kawaiikouhai »

adventured wrote: post #48
i_feel_great wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pardon my utter ignorance/disbelief - are opioids killing/debilitating that many people to get this result?

60,000+ people are overdosing in the US. The Fentanyl China is dumping into the US killed 20,000 people in 2016, up from 3,000 just a few years prior. By comparison, Cocaine killed 10,000, Heroin killed 15,000, and prescription opiods killed 14,000. The reason it disproportionately impacts life expectancy, is because a lot of the people overdosing are young. If you suddenly have 250,000 people under 40 years of age o…

Some quick maths. an increase of +17k Fentanyl deaths in a year. Let's say they all died at 20. Of the ~2.5million annual deaths, which average to be life expectancy (78.8 years). Life expectancy goes down to 78.4.

A net change of 0.4 years is not insignificant, but I think you're ignoring the elephant in the room (China's rapid development in the last decade).

On another vein, I'd argue overdosing on drugs is an intrinsic part to the American experience.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#57

Post by ardent_uno »

drharby wrote: post #54
dv_dt wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just obesity that drives poor US life expectancy performance. Mexico's life expectancy is projected to rise meet the US life expectancy by 2030, and they're a nation with a fairly high obesity percentage. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/22/us-life-expectancy-is-low-an... We have to acknowledge that the lack of Universal Healthcare in the US is a big driver of our poor life expectancy showing.

Thats a pretty big assertion. I'm almost tempted to say it is political advertising, but I'd sooner admit it is just emotional dialogue

It's almost certainly not due to healthcare coverage, but rather obesity and the recent spike in overdose deaths.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#59

Post by ShabbosGoy »

Simulacra wrote: post #49
hueving wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't be put on the no-fly list for shoveling bigmacs down my throat.

Respectfully I disagree. Some airlines will make you buy a second seat, but if there is no second seat, you could be bumped from that airplane due to incredible obesity. Likewise, with enough big Macs, you might grow to such large size that you present safety issues for other passengers. As such, you might be denied boarding.

That’s a false equivalency. The parent said that you won’t be put on a no-fly list for being morbidly obese. That’s not the same as the airline not being able to accommodate you because of your extreme body size.

Re: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

#60

Post by refulgentis »

ardent_uno wrote: post #57
drharby wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats a pretty big assertion. I'm almost tempted to say it is political advertising, but I'd sooner admit it is just emotional dialogue

It's almost certainly not due to healthcare coverage, but rather obesity and the recent spike in overdose deaths.

Unfortunately, no. U.S. life expectancy has stalled O(10 years) while others steadily improve.

2013: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-us-life-expectancy-lowes... 2018: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/...

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