←back to thread

Life expectancy rise in rich countries slows down: took 30 years to prove

(www.nature.com)
135 points andsoitis | 3 comments | 15 Oct 24 13:39 UTC | HN request time: 0.498s | source
Show context
lovethevoid ◴[15 Oct 24 14:36 UTC] No.41849070[source]▶
> The decline in the United States is driven by increasing numbers of deaths because of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in people aged roughly 40 to 60.

People are asking if we should be surprised by the headline but are missing this. As suggested in the article by the researchers, there is something dragging down the average since the 2010s. Not even hitting the general expectation of ~75 years. We don’t have solid answers yet, only theories.

So yes, generally while going up against the process of aging is going to create barriers (eg can we get to 130 years old), we are also failing to raise the baseline which is the bigger issue that people might not grasp when it comes to “life expectancy rates”.

replies(4): >>41849103 #>>41849266 #>>41849314 #>>41855788 #
hn_throwaway_99 ◴[15 Oct 24 14:40 UTC] No.41849103[source]▶
> We don’t have solid answers yet, only theories.

The exact quote you gave had a pretty solid answer, certainly not just "theories".

replies(2): >>41849449 #>>41849483 #
daveguy ◴[15 Oct 24 15:10 UTC] No.41849449[source]▶
I think the distinction there is between immediate cause and root cause. Heart disease and diabetes (or complications thereof) is the immediate cause of death, but what is causing an increase in those diseases is theory at this point.
replies(1): >>41849488 #
orionsbelt ◴[15 Oct 24 15:14 UTC] No.41849488[source]▶
Is it not clearly obesity? Why everyone is obese is perhaps unclear (although portion sizes, ultra processed foods, screen time and sedentary lives, etc, all seem to likely play a clear role), but I’d be surprised if the level of obesity that exists didn’t cause more heart disease and diabetes.
replies(4): >>41849599 #>>41849678 #>>41853685 #>>41854489 #
1. shadowmanifold ◴[15 Oct 24 22:17 UTC] No.41853685[source]▶
I am on track to lose about 40lbs in 2024 and I suspect the main variable is really as simple as we have mastered the art of making really incredible tasting food.

It is so pervasive though it is hard to tell until you go on a really boring and restrictive diet. It is just hard to not gain weight on average when the food tastes this good with such incredible variety.

That is even if you buy something at the store. With our "foodie" culture, restaurants are an entire other level of choice and taste on top of that.

replies(2): >>41855467 #>>41856363 #
2. throwaway2037 ◴[16 Oct 24 03:59 UTC] No.41855467[source]▶
I hope this isn't a throwaway account(!). This is a good post. Can you share what/why it is working for you? The best stories always share small experiments that people tried where they learned what didn't work.
3. zeroonetwothree ◴[16 Oct 24 07:08 UTC] No.41856363[source]▶
I don’t think the taste itself is an issue, it’s the availability. If I have to cook a delicious steak every time I want to eat I’m not going to randomly snack all day since it’s quite a process. My food consumption will remain at a reasonable amount. Whereas if I just pull out a bag of $chips from the pantry I could eat the whole bag without feeling sated.