UK study says children born in 2009 can expect to live 20 years more than children born in 1930

[News_Editor]

UK study says children born in 2009 can expect to live 20 years more than children born in 1930

2011-07-14 15:55:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- A study released by Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday showed that children born in the United Kingdom in 2009 can expect to live 20 years more than people who were born in 1930.

According to the latest estimates from ONS, British males born in 2009 could expect to live over 78 years and females born in the same year more than 82 years. In both cases this is 20 years more than in 1930.

Although the study involves only people born in the United Kingdom, it is believed similar results also apply for other developed countries, depending on local factors. ONS said the main reasons for this change is the considerable decrease in infant and neonatal mortality rates which were at their lowest recorded level in 2010 since records began in 1930.

The most recent data show that men in the UK aged 65 can expect to live more than 17 years on average and spend over 10 of these free of ill-health or disability, while women aged 65 can expect to live a further 20 years, spending over 11 years free of ill-health and more than 10 years free of disability.

The study also highlights that while there has been an increase between 1972 and 2009 in the proportion of people in Great Britain reporting that they have a long-standing illness or disability, there had been little increase in the proportion reporting that this limited their daily activities.

For the first time, cancer was the most common cause of death for both men and women in the UK in 2009. Lung cancer had the highest cancer mortality rate for both sexes. The highest incidence of cancer in the UK was that of the prostate for men and of the breast for women. Improved screening programs may have identified more cases for both these cancers, ONS said.

Further, between 2000 and 2009, the percentage of both men and women in Great Britain who were regular smokers fell. However, a 2008-2009 survey showed that 60 percent of men and 52 percent of women in Great Britain were overweight or obese.

And while people in Britain may expect to live longer, more than 1 in 10 adults in England were diagnosed with depression in 2009-10. There were more than four times as many prescriptions in England for anti-depressants in 2009 than there were in 1991 (39.1 million compared to 9.0 million).

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-14

[Bagwan]

I, for one, do not envy the young and future generations. The last paragraph says it all about prospects now, and in particular, for the future.

While most of us don't want to live forever, many of us would enjoy living longer. At the same time we would like the planet to survive as we know it. There is a contradiction in contemplating a world where everyone lives much longer and where the planet's resources are finite.

[mpoppel]

I, for one, do not envy the young and future generations. The last paragraph says it all about prospects now, and in particular, for the future.

While most of us don't want to live forever, many of us would enjoy living longer. At the same time we would like the planet to survive as we know it. There is a contradiction in contemplating a world where everyone lives much longer and where the planet's resources are finite.

I would want to live forever. And for the depressions, more time and chances to make it right.