Is America's Health Declining?

Is America's Health Declining?

Is America's Health Declining? Less Than 3 Percent of Americans Live a Healthy Lifestyle. Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive
the recommended amount of physical activity each week. 28.0% of Americans,( 80.2 million people), aged six and older are physically inactive. The average American man has a body mass index barely under the medical definition of obese. A 2013 ranking of countries’ health, the United States showed to come in last.
A study defined a “healthy lifestyle” as one that met four qualifications:
1. Moderate or vigorous exercise for at least 3 hours a week
2. A diet score in the top 40% on the Healthy Eating Index
3. A body fat% under 20% (for men) or 30% (for women)
4. Not smoking
Researchers looked at data from a sample of 4,745 participants in the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Physical activity was measured with an accelerometer that participants wore for one week, and diet was scored based on a 24-hour food diary.71.5% of adults were non-smokers,46.5 % got enough exercise, 37.9 % had a healthy diet, but only 9.6 % had what the study referred to as normal body-fat percentage.
Just 2.7 percent of people met all four.
The U.S. age mortality rate—a measure of the number of deaths per year, rose 1.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to the Society of Actuaries. That’s the first year over year increase since 2005.

Almost one in three Americans age 65 to 69 are still working.
Postponing retirement can make financial sense, but a study shows some caution health-wise.

The University of Michigan economists used survey data to compare middle-age Americans’ health. The study showed the number of middle-aged Americans with ADL (Activity of Daily Living) limitations has risen: 12.5% of Americans at the current retirement age of 66 had an ADL limitation in their late 50s, up from 8.8 % for people with a retirement age of 65.

Michigan researchers found at the current retirement age of 66, 1/4th of Americans age 58 to 60 rated themselves in poor health. That’s up 2.6 points from the group who could retire with full benefits at 65.

A study showed that Cognitive skills also declined.11 percent already had some kind of dementia or other cognitive declines at age 58 to 60.

Theories offered by researchers say obesity may be taking their toll, as well as, suicide, drug overdoses, and alcohol. All play a role with the middle-aged whites.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Actuaries, life expectancy for pension participants has dropped. A 65-year-old man can expect to live to 85.6 years, and a woman can expect to make it to 87.6.

One study shows that there is an obesity problem in the U.S. It persists even as Americans eat more produce and work out more.