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Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time'

Life expectancy in the UK has stopped improving for the first time since 1982, when figures began.

Women's life expectancy from birth remains 82.9 years and for men it is 79.2, the figures from the Office for National Statistics, for 2015-17, show.

In some parts of the UK, life expectancy has even decreased.

For men and women in Scotland and Wales, it declined by more than a month. Men in Northern Ireland have seen a similar fall.

For women in Northern Ireland, and for men and women in England, life expectancy at birth is unchanged.

The ONS said the stalling of life expectancy was linked to a particularly high number of deaths from 2015 to 2017, which coincided with a bad flu season and excess winter deaths.

It said there was "much ongoing debate" about the reasons behind this and what direction the trend may take in the future.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45638646

What do you guys think about this? Have we reached the peak that is human life expectancy? What could potentially have been the cause for it to have reached a pause in progression?

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Please no-one start talking a load of mumbo jumbo about austerity.
It's almost like the British obsession with sitting on your corpulent backside and eating an excessive volume of food is not conducive to longevity.
(edited 5 years ago)
A future where 30% of jobs will disappear and possibly more further down the line. Humans aren't needed anymore :wink: so the youngsters might as well engage in hedonism while they still can
Original post by hello_shawn
A future where 30% of jobs will disappear and possibly more further down the line. Humans aren't needed anymore :wink: so the youngsters might as well engage in hedonism while they still can


The increased mechanisation of jobs is an important point. Total energy expenditure of sedentary individuals in the West has already decreased far further than our energy intake from energy-rich, nutrient poor convenience foods has. This is just going to get worse, and as the 'benefits' of mechanisation spread out, so do the harms of sitting on one's fat årse doing **** all.

Life expectancy has always fundamentally been about class and money, but our obesogenic environment has begun to level it a bit. There's a whole industry dedicated to 'wellness' - those who can afford to dîck about with organic Bircher muesli with chia seeds and a jade egg shoved up for good measure are going to live longer. The Goop Set.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by MrDystopia
Life expectancy in the UK has stopped improving for the first time since 1982, when figures began.

Women's life expectancy from birth remains 82.9 years and for men it is 79.2, the figures from the Office for National Statistics, for 2015-17, show.

In some parts of the UK, life expectancy has even decreased.

For men and women in Scotland and Wales, it declined by more than a month. Men in Northern Ireland have seen a similar fall.

For women in Northern Ireland, and for men and women in England, life expectancy at birth is unchanged.

The ONS said the stalling of life expectancy was linked to a particularly high number of deaths from 2015 to 2017, which coincided with a bad flu season and excess winter deaths.

It said there was "much ongoing debate" about the reasons behind this and what direction the trend may take in the future.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45638646

What do you guys think about this? Have we reached the peak that is human life expectancy? What could potentially have been the cause for it to have reached a pause in progression?

In Japan they eat the equivelent of 11 of our portions of fruit and veg and fish over meat, so no i dont believe we have reached a natural peak though libertarian thinking is allowing our population to harm itself.
Original post by MrDystopia
Life expectancy in the UK has stopped improving for the first time since 1982, when figures began.

Women's life expectancy from birth remains 82.9 years and for men it is 79.2, the figures from the Office for National Statistics, for 2015-17, show.

In some parts of the UK, life expectancy has even decreased.

For men and women in Scotland and Wales, it declined by more than a month. Men in Northern Ireland have seen a similar fall.

For women in Northern Ireland, and for men and women in England, life expectancy at birth is unchanged.

The ONS said the stalling of life expectancy was linked to a particularly high number of deaths from 2015 to 2017, which coincided with a bad flu season and excess winter deaths.

It said there was "much ongoing debate" about the reasons behind this and what direction the trend may take in the future.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45638646

What do you guys think about this? Have we reached the peak that is human life expectancy? What could potentially have been the cause for it to have reached a pause in progression?


Look at all the fat b*stards in the UK. It is no surprise.
Good.

I have said for some time, no matter how nice of a person you are, everyone is a little better off with a bit of death in their lives. There's a reason vampires are grouchy.
Being lazy and eating rubbish isn't good for us. Who knew? Unless we change our lifestyles significantly we're not going to live as long. It's not rocket science, and it's up to us really. There's only so much medicine can do for poor choices.
So I'm not going to get any old???
You mean we gave up smoking and drugs for nothing?
good for nhs
Reply 12
good for the next brexit referendum
Reply 13
Original post by Trinculo
Please no-one start talking a load of mumbo jumbo about austerity.


A bit sensitive about this are we?
Well i suppose life expectancy can only keep progressing so much, we aren't tortoises

:turtle:
Original post by ManicDrBeatles
Look at all the fat b*stards in the UK. It is no surprise.

Haha, how long until you have to put the asterisk on f*t?
As they are managing it much better in other countries, then clearly there is scope for improvement be that in diet, healthcare or socio economic factors.
Original post by Just my opinion
Haha, how long until you have to put the asterisk on f*t?

I know fattys don’t like the truth they have to suger coat it (then eat it) no wonder they are fat
The framing of this is irritating. Average life expectancies are not a public problem. If you want to live longer, it's open to you to take better care of yourself. If, on the other hand, you want to shorten your life by drinking and smoking and eating badly and all the rest of it, that's also your call.
Reply 19
Original post by TimmonaPortella
The framing of this is irritating. Average life expectancies are not a public problem. If you want to live longer, it's open to you to take better care of yourself. If, on the other hand, you want to shorten your life by drinking and smoking and eating badly and all the rest of it, that's also your call.


There are factors outside your control such as the state of the NHS, social care, air pollution, what food you can buy, your living conditions etc. You are framing your argument narrowly.

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