LOS ANGELES — Life expectancy has risen in the United States over the past 25 years, but it’s not rising as fast as it once was. And, compared with other developed nations, U.S. life expectancy doesn’t measure up.
In a report released Tuesday by the National Research Council, experts describe U.S. life expectancy as a “poor performance” compared with many other countries given the hefty health care spending in the U.S.
For U.S. males, life expectancy at birth rose by 5.5 years from 1980 to 2006. That lags behind the average gains of 21 other countries. For U.S. women, life expectancy at birth increased by about three years from 1980 to 2006, which also ranks much lower than other developed nations.
According to the report, about half of the gap between U.S. life expectancy and countries with higher life expectancy is due to heart-disease rates. Moreover, among U.S. women, smoking appears to account for lower life expectancy. The report says obesity may account for one-fifth to one-third of the shortfall in U.S. life expectancy.
In the U.S., the latest life expectancy at birth was 80.8 years for women and 75.6 for men. Japan led the way at nearly 86 years for women and 79.2 for men. Los Angeles Times
