Who says we live longer than our ancestors? The following ladies were recognized by the Relief Society in 1962 for being 100 years of age or older.

All of these ladies were alive during the Civil War.

103
Mary Ann Clark
Lizzie Merrill

102
Hilda Ericksen

101
Sarah Jacobson

100
Sarah Barrett
Katherine Gauff
Annie McKay
Isador Lyman
Elizabeth Day
Anna Agee

That's quite something.

From what I've heard, the life span in the U.S. is, apparently, dropping.

Every morning it's a new longevity record for me!!!

I'm doing something right! ...or Saucie is.

Yeah, it's me.

Ha! My roommate says I, also, must be doing something right for him, too. He's got great blood pressure, which he attributes to whatever I'm doing right. My high blood pressure, on the other hand, appears to be caused by caffeine. Gotta go back to the effing Word o' Wisdom.

What are you doing to make him so happy and content?

The American mortality rate has risen the most dramatically for women. The opinion is that it's because more women are working, these days, along with the men in those high-stress jobs and long American hours, with very little time off. Unlike most Eurpoean countries, we're luck to get ½ hour off for lunch, if any time at all. Then we go home and take care of housework and kids.

I'm sure it's stress. It could also be bad air and water, and too much sugar and fast food and processed foods, Not enough time or energy to exercise in the great outdoors. More disease due to overcrowding. Americans take great pride in burning the candle at both ends. Most working women I know feel like they are in competition with the men, and must work extra hard. This is how it was for me, and I got very, very sick, before I cut back a little.

for males in the 0-to-65 years cohort and a significantly greater increase in mortality for females in the 65 and older cohort.

That's just measuring the negative changes. On average, IIRC, female mortality rates are still better than male mortality rates in both categories.

https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/suppl/2018/08/15/bmj.k3096.DC1/mid_life_mortality_v37_datasupp.pdf

from the equation, the life spans of people living in the 18th and 19th centuries probably were probably not much lower on average than those of the 20th and 21st century. The people who survived childhood were possibly much hardier than those of the modern age.

Double post

Average life span in the past was shorter due to the higher rate of death from disease and childbirth. There were no vaccinations or antibiotics for starts. In some periods you could expect to lose half of your children. However, if you survived childhood and didn't die in childbirth or get a disease that is curable today, you could live to a ripe old age



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2019 02:32AM by bona dea.

My birth family has some mid to late 80's folks...I'm 71...who knows when the dirt nap happens.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2019 08:14PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

Damn it, Ron! My parents only bought me a 75 year warranty!

Is extended warranty available???