Re: 40 Year Old Vs 65 Year Old American Hitting 90
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Clearly this boils down to one thing:
Probability of dying between the ages of 40 and 65 versus the medical advancements made in 25 years.
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I think cohort effects are also pretty important. 40 year olds were born in the 60s and 65 year olds in the 40s. Were the 65 year olds exposed to more hazardous materials that might have a lasting detrimental effect on health (radon watch hands, pesticides, thalidomide, lead paint, asbestos)? Is this offset somewhat by the increasing obesity trend? Are the current 40 year olds fatter by a significant margin so that their fatness offsets (in terms of life expectancy) their hopefully smaller degree of exposure to toxins?
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