Is Life Expectancy Going Down?

I have been saying for years that if Americans don't start improving their diet and lifestyle, America's children may not live as long as their parent's generation did. Sadly, that prediction seems to be coming true.

The trend for generations has been that life expectancy increases from generation to generation, but life expectancy has just taken a turn for the worse.

Members of the 200-year-old actuary profession study risk and uncertainty. The life insurance companies use their data to determine premiums. Pension plans use their data to figure out how long people will collect their pensions for.

The best estimates for the predicted lifespan of Americans, were just released in October, by the Society of Actuaries. On the average, a 65-year-old American man should die a few months short of his 86th birthday, while the average 65-year-old woman gets an additional two years, barely missing her 88th birthday.

Unfortunately, the health of Americans has deteriorated. As a result, the life expectancy for 65-year-olds is now six months shorter than in last year’s actuarial study. Longevity for younger Americans was also affected: A 25-year-old woman last year had a 50/50 chance of reaching age 90. This year, she is projected to fall about six months short. The average 25-year-old man is expected to live to 86 years and 11 months, down from 87 years and 8 months in last year's estimates. Baby boomers, Generation X and even millennials are all doing worse.

If you are looking for a crystal ball, The Society of Actuaries’ website offers a longevity calculator that takes both your age and health into account, to calculate your chances of living to specific ages. A hint when using the calculator, is that the "Age for Illustration to Start", has the be older than you are right now.

There is more bad news. The Society of Actuaries’ calculations has an assumption that longevity will keep improving, but the latest numbers, however, aren’t encouraging. From 2000 to 2009, American death rates improved at 1.93% for men and 1.46% for women annually. From 2010 to 2014, that improvement decreased to only 0.6% for men and 0.42% for women and now the numbers are reversing and life expectancy is declining.

If you’re trying to figure out how long you’re likely to live, estimates of “average” life expectancy may not be that accurate. Diet, exercise, body weight, stress levels, sleep patterns, exposure to toxins, consuming GMOs and the side effects of drugs are just a few of the many factors that impact longevity.

If you read my blog every day, you might just have an edge to stay one step ahead of the Grim Reaper.

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