The average life expectancy (LE) in 1900 was 47 years of age. In 2008, the average LE in the US was 80 years, and by 2020, the US Census Bureau projects that the average LE will be 79.5 years. Life expectancy in the US differs by sex and race. Women live about 5 years longer than men, and whites lives about 4 years longer than African-Americans. (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0105.pdf)
At the population level, increased life expectancy has been attributed to two major factors related to technology. Public health measures such vaccinations and water treatment have added 25-30 years to our life expectancy while medical advances have added about 5 years. These measures have significantly reduce the incidence of infant mortality and allowed people to be healthier well into their 70’s, 80’s and beyond. (https://www.census.gov/prod/1/pop/p23-190/p23190-g.pdf)
At the level of the individual, genetic and environmental factors help to predict how long a person will live. Read the following article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genetic-factors-associated-with-increased-longevity-identified
After you have reviewed the above resources, respond to the following questions in several paragraphs:
- Identify two or three implications of an aging population on different aspects of modern social life like education, health, work, leisure, consumerism, the economy, and public policy.
- According to the Scientific American article above, how much of our life expectancy is accounted for by genetic factors?
- What lifestyle choices can you make that may improve your chances of living longer?
- What role does technology play in health across the lifespan? How does it keep us from being healthy? How does it promote health?
