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Life expectancy on the rise 'despite obesity epidemic' Life expectancy on the rise 'despite obesity epidemic'
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Life expectancy in the UK is on the rise, along with the rest of Europe, despite fears over the impact of obesity, a population expert has said.Life expectancy in the UK is on the rise, along with the rest of Europe, despite fears over the impact of obesity, a population expert has said.
Analysing trends from the past 40 years, Professor David Leon credited a decline in deaths from heart disease for the continued rise.Analysing trends from the past 40 years, Professor David Leon credited a decline in deaths from heart disease for the continued rise.
People in the UK are also living longer than those in the US, he says.People in the UK are also living longer than those in the US, he says.
His analysis is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.His analysis is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Professor Leon, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, points out that in the last five years most European countries have been going in a "positive direction" for the first time in decades.Professor Leon, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, points out that in the last five years most European countries have been going in a "positive direction" for the first time in decades.
Despite concern that health problems arising from obesity would affect life expectancy in high-income countries, such as the UK, there is no evidence of this to date.Despite concern that health problems arising from obesity would affect life expectancy in high-income countries, such as the UK, there is no evidence of this to date.
Professor Leon said that deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UK have seen, "some of the largest and most rapid falls of any Western European country, partly due to improvements in treatment as well as reductions in smoking and other risk factors."Professor Leon said that deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UK have seen, "some of the largest and most rapid falls of any Western European country, partly due to improvements in treatment as well as reductions in smoking and other risk factors."
But he admits that it may to be too soon to see the impact of increasing obesity rates.But he admits that it may to be too soon to see the impact of increasing obesity rates.
"We are yet to see the impact of a generation of people who have been obese from childhood through to adulthood. We can't predict how that will affect life expectancy figures in the future.""We are yet to see the impact of a generation of people who have been obese from childhood through to adulthood. We can't predict how that will affect life expectancy figures in the future."
"We are definitely seeing type-2 diabetes occurring more in teenagers due to obesity, but this is not immediately being translated into mortality rates.""We are definitely seeing type-2 diabetes occurring more in teenagers due to obesity, but this is not immediately being translated into mortality rates."
"This is because of decreased rates of cardiovascular disease and concerted efforts to reduce risk and modify weight," Professor Leon said."This is because of decreased rates of cardiovascular disease and concerted efforts to reduce risk and modify weight," Professor Leon said.
In 2007, the US was found to be at the same level for life expectancy as the lowest of any Western European country (Portugal for males and Denmark for females).In 2007, the US was found to be at the same level for life expectancy as the lowest of any Western European country (Portugal for males and Denmark for females).
Its life expectancy rate for women has been increasing at a much slower pace than Western Europe since the 1980s.Its life expectancy rate for women has been increasing at a much slower pace than Western Europe since the 1980s.
Life expectancy in the US was 78 years in 2007, compared with 80 years in the UK.Life expectancy in the US was 78 years in 2007, compared with 80 years in the UK.
Professor Leon writes: "This observation underlines that gross domestic product (GDP) and health care expenditure per capita are not good predictors of population health within high-income countries."Professor Leon writes: "This observation underlines that gross domestic product (GDP) and health care expenditure per capita are not good predictors of population health within high-income countries."
The latest figures from 2009 show that life expectancy in the UK is 82.6 years for women and 78.4 years for men.The latest figures from 2009 show that life expectancy in the UK is 82.6 years for women and 78.4 years for men.


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No mention of occupation or how stressed they were, or if the spent a life time thinking of others. which has shown other issues affect life expectancies. I wonder who paid for this research? politicians, so they now can use it to control society even more, to remove oap totaly. This comment is awaiting moderation. href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml#appear" target="_blank">Explain.
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    • Why can't we be told, for purposes of comparison, the average life expectancy in the UK? Instead we are always provided sepersate figures for women and men. I would like to have all three figures. This comment is awaiting moderation. href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml#appear" target="_blank">Explain.
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    • What's the point of living longer if you're only going to sit there a dribble. Live is for living not existing. If life expectancy keeps rising so will the retirement age, which will mean less jobs for everyone. I totally agree with a shift to equal rights, but when I see that ladies out live men by an average of 4 years, where is the out cry about that. But then again I can imagine by the time I am 80, men will probably be out living ladies, owing to the way females of my generation are now behaving. I agree with a previous post, what is the point of living longer, if there is no quality of life.
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    • It proved that socialized medicine is far more superior than us so called best system by the Republican congress members. Personally I believe they are the agents of insurance companies. I agree with Steve Abrams. To make any sense of the figures we need to know what the basis is. How many actual people? what age range?I also feel that it would more informative to have the comparison based on social class. For example, are we living longer in the UK because of the rise of the middle class?
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    • This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml#house" target="_blank">House Rules. Your report on David Leon's carries no new information and actually misses the key point that surrounds the question of longer life expectancy - and that, simply put, is whether long life also brings a longer healthier life. Because, as one of the earlier comments points out, there is little purpose in living longer if that additional time is spent in a state of ill health misery and decrepitude.
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