The media should be forced to run this story every few weeks, just to remind everyone that it's a great time to be alive. But the problem with this sort of good news is that it evolves so slowly -- unlike disasters and wars and bird flu. Even with all the ailments and stresses of modern life, we're still living twice as long as our ancestors a century ago.
The biggest surprise emerging from the new studies is that many chronic ailments like heart disease, lung disease and arthritis are occurring an average of 10 to 25 years later than they used to. There is also less disability among older people today, according to a federal study that directly measures it. And that is not just because medical treatments like cataract surgery keep people functioning. Human bodies are simply not breaking down the way they did before.
i use to live in park slope on prospect ave. anyway can ou be my mentor? bye.
Posted by: raymi | August 03, 2006 at 08:08 AM
oh i forgot i have published two books already and worknig on my third, indie published tho and despite what my critics say i am actually very smart.
Posted by: raymi | August 03, 2006 at 08:14 AM
I'd say the emergence of better infrastructure, commerce, and information-dissemination has placed humans in a better position to BE healthy then ever before. Simple decent nutrition (in spite of the rampant adulteration of the US food supply) can do wonders.
You see a similar phenomenon with Japanese kids who have grown up (literally, they are a LOT taller!) with access to a wider spectrum of foods in addition to the relatively lacking traditional diets their parents grew up on.
What strikes me about this issue is how eager to accept credit the medical community is for all this. Sure, minor policy changes and educational programs have an impact, but just dumping drugs into people and cutting on them is no replacement for good sustenance in the form of a variety of nutritionally-rich foods, made available by humanity's ever-growing complex networks of commerce which make it all possible.
Posted by: Todd Phillips | August 05, 2006 at 06:03 PM
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Posted by: 电炉 | August 08, 2006 at 01:08 AM