logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
10m 21s

Why is life expectancy falling in the US...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The average life expectancy of Americans is shrinking at an alarming rate.

Between 2019 and 2021, a staggering 2.7 years has been shaved off, leaving the revised figure at 76.1 years - the lowest it’s been in more than two decades.

It also sees the U.S. rank 46th in the global life expectancy charts, behind Estonia and just a nose ahead of Panama.

Paul Connolly is joined by John Burn Murdoch, Mary Pat Campbell and Dr Nick Mark to discuss why, on average, citizens of the world’s richest country are dying so young.

Up next
Jul 5
The economics of war: Vikings, Conquistadors and Vietnam
How does economics help us understand conflicts through history? That’s the question that economist and journalist Duncan Weldon tries to answer in his new book, Blood and Treasure. Tim talks to Duncan about the economic perspective on Viking raiders, Spanish conquest and the Vie ... Show More
8m 58s
Jul 2
Is the UK seeing a Christian revival?
Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news and in life. This week:Is church-going making a comeback in the UK?Is it true that every day, 1000 people begin claiming personal independence payments, or PIP?When the government talks about how it “returns” illegal immigrants ... Show More
28m 17s
Jun 28
Has Russia suffered a million casualties in the Ukraine war?
It’s been over three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the human toll is growing on both sides.Recently, politicians and journalists have declared a grim milestone, one million Russian casualties.But is this number accurate? Tim talks to Seth Jones, from the ... Show More
8m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
What a 'consequence of success' means for life expectancy
Headlines: Australia’s fertility rate hits record low, 50 aid trucks have entered the north of Gaza, ACT Opposition Leader apologises for flipping the bird at journalist and Jerry Seinfeld walks back comments about the left ruining comedy. Deep Dive: With the speed at which techn ... Show More
23m 50s
May 1
CBS Evening News, 05/01/25
President Trump says he's nominating Mike Waltz to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Eye on America - Americans are having fewer babies, with CDC data showing the annual birth rate standing near a record low. High costs, the fear of climate change and putting careers ... Show More
26m 28s
Nov 2023
Portugal's secret to living longer
Life expectancy is dropping in the United States, despite the nation spending more per person on health care than any other country. So what is a place like Portugal — where people live longer with far fewer resources — doing right? And what is the United States missing? Today on ... Show More
32m 47s
Feb 2023
Kids in Australia could be the first generation in history to have a shorter life expectancy, how do we turn the ship around?
A new report suggests that kids in Australia could be the first generation in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This edition of The Conversation Hour looks at why prevention is more important than ever.  
52m 6s
Aug 2024
Why do women live longer than men?
In the period from 2018 to 2020, the life expectancy at birth for women in the UK was 82.9 years, while it was just 79 for men. That’s according to data from the Office of National Statistics. And that disparity is a common trend across various countries and even among certain ot ... Show More
4m 13s
Feb 2025
How Long Can Humans Live? Insights from Dr. Jay Olshansky
In this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Jay Olshansky, a leading professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and a renowned expert in aging and biodemography. Together, they delve into the science of longevity, exploring how public health ad ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2025
Measles Outbreak in Texas | How Parents Can Get Teens Excited About School & Learning
Texas is facing its largest measles outbreak in decades. At least 124 people have come down with the virus — mostly kids and those who are not vaccinated. The outbreak has spread across nine counties. Omar Villafranca has more.This summer, the family trip to a national forest cou ... Show More
39m 27s
May 6
What is Closing the Gap?  - Qu'est-ce que Closing the Gap ?
Australia has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. On average, Australians live to see their 83rd birthday. But for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, life expectancy is about eight years less. Closing the Gap is a national agreement designed to change t ... Show More
5m 22s
Sep 2023
Peter Attia on Lifespan, Healthspan, and Outlive
We spend too much of our health care focus on lifespan and not enough on healthspan--the quality of our life as we get older. So argues Dr. Peter Attia, author of Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Attia speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about what kills us, what slows ... Show More
1h 39m