| The twentieth century saw a rapid rise in | | | | (e.g. military), and, men generally drive, |
| life expectancy due to improvements in public | | | | drink and smoke more than women. |
| health, nutrition and medicine. According to | | | | |
| newly released government figures, the life | | | | The approximate life expectancy during the |
| expectancy for Americans is approximately 78 | | | | Roman Empire was 25 years; 1900, world life |
| years; the longest in U.S. history. | | | | expectancy jumped to 30 years, and by 1985, |
| | | | 62 years was achievable! |
| The improvement in life expectancy is partly | | | | |
| due to a decline in deaths from 2 of the | | | | Life expectancy changes as one ages. If a |
| nation's leading killers; heart disease, and | | | | person survives to late adulthood, the |
| stroke. Changes in behavior also seem to be | | | | chances of reaching a ripe old age are quite |
| playing a significant role in increasing life | | | | good. Those who manage to reach 65 years will |
| expectancies; a reduction in smoking has seen | | | | have a bonus of an additional 18 years, |
| a prominent decrease in heart disease, and | | | | making their life expectancy almost 83 years! |
| cancer. Heart attacks, and cancer, account | | | | |
| for more than half of all deaths in the U.S. | | | | Despite the increased life expectancy in the |
| each year! | | | | U.S., compared to the life span achievable in |
| | | | more than 36 countries, 78-83 years still |
| Worldwide life expectancy for women has | | | | falls short. It is claimed that Japan holds |
| always predominantly been higher than men; in | | | | the world's longest life expectancy rate, for |
| fact, a National Center for Health Statistics | | | | both sexes; 30,000 people over the age of |
| Report states that women outlive men by at | | | | 100, and still going strong! |
| least 5 years! The reasons for this | | | | |
| difference are not fully understood, though | | | | It's thought that the higher the life |
| it is argued that women are biologically | | | | expectancy, the better shape a country is in, |
| superior to men, thus living longer; men are | | | | that may be so, but whether we live to be 78 |
| more often murdered; women are less likely to | | | | or 116, every day is a gift from God; make |
| be employed in more hazardous occupations | | | | them count! |