Francene - Views on news
  • BLOG
  • About
  • Contact

How long do you expect to live?

4/30/2015

11 Comments

 
Picture
Research from the Lancet indicates men are catching up to women when it comes to life expectancy in the UK. By 2030 men will be living 85.7 years on average, just two years fewer than women.

In 1981 men lagged behind women by six years.

A 60-year-old living 100 years ago would have been considered a frail person. However, nowadays they might be viewed as middle-aged, living healthy and happy lives.

I recall reading books about that era where the old mother called for food from the confinement of her bed. Nowadays, most people remain active despite their disability. Like me. I drag myself from room to room to maintain order in my home. Every day, I force myself to take a walk outside with my rollator. Only then, do I appreciate the wind on my face and the birdcall. I don't take pain relief, believing it is best to accept whatever comes and try to adapt like bamboo swaying before the wind. Stiff branches snap.

Though life expectancy is shown to be improving for both sexes, it comes at the cost of widening inequalities between deprived and affluent areas. The researchers, from Imperial College London, predict by 2030 men will be living 2.4 years longer than official estimates from the Office of National Statistics suggest. Women gain an extra year.

Click here for your life expectancy calculator. It's American, but values can be worked out for other countries.  Here's a stone to pound calculator.

Picture
I took the test and found that my life anticipation is due to end. Hehe. I'm 73 years and I'm expected to live another .2 years, which is about now in April, 2015. Well, we'll see about that!

As an aside, all the questions on health were in my favor. The only drawbacks for me were concern about my husband's health, his smoking, and him, at the age of 76, driving me around. So, my husband will be the death of me.

Life expectancy has risen in developed countries from about 47 in 1900 to about 80 today, largely due to advances in curing childhood diseases. But those longer lives come with their share of misery. Age-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer’s are more prevalent than ever. Why would anyone want to go on living in a pain-riddled body?

“A lot of people spend their last decade of their lives in pain and misery combating disease,” says Craig Venter, San Diego based pioneering biologist and billionaire entrepreneur who raced to sequence the human genome. “I think it is possible to begin to do more about that than we are doing.” Venter, 68, announced his new company, Human Longevity, to promote healthy ageing using advances in genomics and stem cell therapies in March 2014.

A lot of people might consider having their mind transferred to a healthy avatar, as one scientist is working toward, so 'they' can live forever, but they must not believe in an afterlife. I look forward to the next stage of my soul's growth.

In the end, a healthy lifestyle has been identified as the key to staying fit and well into old age.

And so comes the question: How long do you anticipate living?

11 Comments
Alana link
4/29/2015 08:33:27 pm

I took the quiz-some of the questions surprised me (a couple of questions I expected were not there and that really surprised me.) The results, given that my mother died at age 47? I am supposed to live to 91. But, I don't want to have my last 10 years full of disease and pain. I've seen that TOO many times. My mother in law, who is 87, is going through that now. Even my 103 year old aunt in law has reached that time now. Sad.

Reply
Payal Agarwal link
4/29/2015 11:11:21 pm

"next stage of soul's growth"..that's interesting!

Reply
K.Lee Banks link
4/30/2015 01:40:35 am

I would like to see 100 - which is in another 43 years. But only if I can remain relatively healthy and not be a burden on my hubby or my kids.

Reply
Joan Harrington link
4/30/2015 01:55:31 am

Hi Francene,

Great post :) Though I must be honest I am not sure I really want to know "how much time" I have.......Just want to live me life to the fullest :) Thanks for sharing!

Reply
lavinia link
4/30/2015 02:09:38 am

That was great to pass the time. It was longer than I expected and some questions were weird. I'm going to live to be 84. Both my grandmothers died mod 80's so that's kinda what I was expecting.

Reply
Sandy Segur link
4/30/2015 02:26:09 am

Every time I have tried one of those life expectancy calculators, I die by time I am 50. I am 43. So, I pay no mind to those. My family tend to live long lives. Anywhere from 85 to over 100. I plan to live as long as I can. Nice article, it made a good read.

Reply
Dorit Sasson link
4/30/2015 06:29:22 am

After looking at the title of the blog, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to find out something I should be doing to live longer. My Mom died of Alzheimers which I hope to never get. May we find a cure and fast for these awful diseases.

Reply
Shonda link
4/30/2015 06:43:47 am

I tested at almost 86 years of age which is young for my family. I have several family members over age 100 and some in their 90s. So I need to step up my game I guess. Lol.

Reply
Shonda link
4/30/2015 06:45:13 am

I mis-read, I have an extra year. lol . Age 87

Reply
Ajay Pai link
4/30/2015 11:48:13 pm

Oh! Francene. You are fit and fine. Am sure you will live longer. Hugs. I do not wanna miss you.

Reply
Maddy link
5/3/2015 02:05:10 pm

O dear, I have about half an hour left, I'd better get off the computer and tidy up!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories
    news
    earth
    sea
    space
    environment
    people
    animals
    fish
    birds 

    experience 
    writing
    novels

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.