About the Life Expectancy in the US…
What’s the life expectancy of a US citizen? Can you figure out what your own life expectancy is? Can you live longer? Recently there has been a lot of talk about the average life expectancy in the US. We’ve assembled resources that may answer a few of your questions.
One of the world’s oldest men died last week. He died an hour after turning 109. Time magazine has published a great article written by his neighbor. It’s quite an inspiring story and you can read it here.
It turns out; life expectancy is a little more complicated than just throwing a number on it. The US census bureau has fascinating charts that give you info on life expectancy rates based on race, age, year born etc. I suggest checking it out. I can see that being a white, female born in 1975, I’m expected to live 77.3 years. If this comes to pass, I’m almost exactly ½ way through my life.
Is there anything you can do?
Sister time with purple fruit!
Prevention Magazine recently published a list of “14 Surprising Signs You’ll Live Longer Than You Think”. This list was pretty interesting and showed I have 14 things in my favor. My mom had me young (thanks mom), I like tea, I don’t drink diet pop, I walk, don’t eat burgers, have strong legs, was a thin teen, I was a college freshman, I’m healthy, I like my friends, don’t have a housekeeper, embrace new challenges, drink purple foods (red wine) and have a positive outlook on life. Does this mean maybe I’m not quite halfway through life yet?
According to worldlifeexpectancy.com, I will live 79.92 years because I live in Colorado. This website predicts how long you live in each state. I can gain almost 1.5 years of life if I move to Hawaii. That doesn’t sound too bad!
One of the documentary’s up for an Oscar this year was an amazing movie about a woman who survived the Holocaust and is the oldest living pianist at 109 years old. The movie is quite a remarkable tribute to the power of music and of a positive outlook on life. I highly recommend it!
Being a geriatric nurse, I often think of the Abraham Lincoln quote “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Never do I hear my patients tell stories about the excitement of working long hours, having lots of money or possessions. It’s always the experiences that define our lives and make any amount of years we have worth living. I have had many patients tell me not to be afraid and to live without regret. I think this is better advice than drinking more tea, though I still wouldn’t mind moving to Hawaii!
A great song about not letting your fear decide your fate!
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” –Eleanor Roosevelt