Decline in U.S. life expectancy deserves more local and national attention
A decline in U.S. life expectancy and the country's low standing compared to others represent a clear call to action to study and improve public health.
Arguably the greatest American advancement of the 20th century was the 30-year increase in U.S. life expectancy at birth, from 47 years in 1900 to 77 years in 2000. Having achieved that, it’s easy now to take it for granted. Some worrisome signs, though, point to the need to focus on life expectancy once again — locally and nationally.
That focus is important because life expectancy at birth, as a summary indicator of age at death and, by proxy, of our health.
