The Incidental Economist has a post with five graphs on life expectancy in the United States. (Zombie life expectancy arguments) Two stood out to me.
First, this chart shows the life expectancy for men in the United States at age 65. The population is split into income quartiles and then compared with other nations. An even more interesting chart would have been to split the population of other countries into quartiles to see how they fare from top to bottom.
The second map compares the change in average life expectancy for women, 1987-2007. The red counties are the places where life expectancy has declined.
I'm sure there are several factors at work. I saw this article today, Diabetes rates rocket in Oklahoma, South. Also, I saw a presentation by Allen Johnson of Christians for the Mountains that showed the link between mountaintop mining and reduced health in counties in Kentucky and West Virginia. I'm sure there are issues ranging from lifestyles to healthcare access involved. A picture really does say a thousand words.
Yes, lifestyle and access issues are critical. Thanks for these!
Posted by: NKR | Nov 16, 2012 at 10:07 AM