Why Are American Women Living 5 Years Less than Their Mothers?

[LowDown]

...Scientists Baffled by Shocking Trend

• Two studies found that life expectancy rates among women have been steadily falling in about half of U.S. counties
• According to a map by the University of Wisconsin, the states most affected are Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas and Tennessee
• The Southwest and Northeast are the areas least impacted by the trend
• The mortality rate is falling among white, high-school dropouts especially who are expected to die five years earlier than the previous generation

The increase in unmarried single mothers, the increase in women in the work force, the rise of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, the dissolution of the poor white community and the social support and religious and moral traditions that go with it would be my guesses as to why.

Men, on the other hand, are living a little longer, and the difference between male and female life spans is decreasing. American men's longevity was about 7.8 years shorter than women's in 1972 but the difference dropped to 5 years in 2005. Perhaps women pay a price when they take on the roles traditionally assigned to men, especially the role of sole breadwinner.

 

[jmotivator]

...Scientists Baffled by Shocking Trend



The increase in unmarried single mothers, the increase in women in the work force, the rise of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, the dissolution of the poor white community and the social support and religious and moral traditions that go with it would be my guesses as to why.

Men, on the other hand, are living a little longer, and the difference between male and female life spans is decreasing. American men's longevity was about 7.8 years shorter than women's in 1972 but the difference dropped to 5 years in 2005. Perhaps women pay a price when they take on the roles traditionally assigned to men, especially the role of sole breadwinner.

Vive la Equality!

Ever get the feeling that the progressives are really just wishing on the Monkey's Paw?

 

[haymarket]

The combined pressures of being in the workforce plus still having to do the vast majority of the household tasks are taking a toll.

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Women DEMANDED to be more like men, well they got it, happy?

 

[jmotivator]

The combined pressures of being in the workforce plus still having to do the vast majority of the household tasks are taking a toll.

HAHA! In your house maybe...

 

[ChrisL]

...Scientists Baffled by Shocking Trend



The increase in unmarried single mothers, the increase in women in the work force, the rise of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, the dissolution of the poor white community and the social support and religious and moral traditions that go with it would be my guesses as to why.

Men, on the other hand, are living a little longer, and the difference between male and female life spans is decreasing. American men's longevity was about 7.8 years shorter than women's in 1972 but the difference dropped to 5 years in 2005. Perhaps women pay a price when they take on the roles traditionally assigned to men, especially the role of sole breadwinner.

I think obesity probably plays a role. Today's women are not getting as much exercise and don't eat right either. I also wonder how much stress plays a role.

 

[Ben K.]

Looks like women who live in more liberal states are living longer though. /partisan_troll

 

[lizzie]

My first thought was the rising obesity rates.

 

[Higgins86]

Well as a society I think we are unhealthier than we were 50 years ago. Obesity, processed foods, stressful office environments, longer working hours take your pick.

 

[MarineTpartier]

...Scientists Baffled by Shocking Trend



The increase in unmarried single mothers, the increase in women in the work force, the rise of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, the dissolution of the poor white community and the social support and religious and moral traditions that go with it would be my guesses as to why.

Men, on the other hand, are living a little longer, and the difference between male and female life spans is decreasing. American men's longevity was about 7.8 years shorter than women's in 1972 but the difference dropped to 5 years in 2005. Perhaps women pay a price when they take on the roles traditionally assigned to men, especially the role of sole breadwinner.

Without reading the article or your comments I can answer the title of the article in one simple thought. Because they're fat. Just like men are.

 

[Higgins86]

I think obesity probably plays a role. Today's women are not getting as much exercise and don't eat right either. I also wonder how much stress plays a role.

I think stress is probably a key factor! Women today are working more than their mothers generation were and many in high powered corporate jobs.

 

[ChrisL]

Well as a society I think we are unhealthier than we were 50 years ago. Obesity, processed foods, stressful office environments, longer working hours take your pick.

Yup, life and lifestyles have changed.

 

[Arcana XV]

Women DEMANDED to be more like men, well they got it, happy?

Yes. I don't care if I lose 5 years of life. There's no way I'm going back to the way things were before equality. :shrug:

 

[Arcana XV]

Also, I agree this is more a problem with an unhealthy lifestyle than anything else. Stop smoking, don't drink excessively, eat a balanced diet, lose weight and exercise regularly and chances are you'll live a little longer no matter how stressful your life is.

 

[lizzie]

Women DEMANDED to be more like men, well they got it, happy?

We won't be. It's not in our nature.

 

[MaggieD]

We won't be. It's not in our nature.

True dat. :lol:

 

[American]

Yes. I don't care if I lose 5 years of life. There's no way I'm going back to the way things were before equality. :shrug:

You're not old enough to go back....you never live it.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

The increase in unmarried single mothers, the increase in women in the work force, the rise of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, the dissolution of the poor white community and the social support and religious and moral traditions that go with it would be my guesses as to why.

Did you read the article that you're supposedly citing?

Since these women are more likely to be unemployed or working low-wage jobs, researchers believe the new health care law may combat this backwards slide, but point out that it might not solve the underlying problem.

1) This, and other bits of the article - suggest that being well educated and gainfully employed IMPROVE health and life expectancy, because of healthcare availability. You, citing the stay at home mom bit, are claiming that it's TOXIC. You are wrong, misinterpreting these findings, and trying to skew what is really being said with a heavy dose of tired sexism.
2) Women have always been employed. Your opinion is based on the RARE 1950's housewife standard which came around after the end of WWII. It was a short-lived period in our history. That wasn't the norm 100 years ago, and it's not the norm today. Being a stay at home mother who doesn't work is a luxury that few people can afford.
3) Further, the age forecast is declining WHERE these gender norms are more prevalent - the south.
4) Just maybe men are taking better care of their selves in general and letting go of the idea that "touch men don't go to the Drs."
5) Also, if you study the map they provide, you can see that where gender norms dominate society LESS - there is improvement. Either significant or minimal - but it's still improvement.

- There, I debunked your sexist views. They're always full of BS that doesn't take a Master's Degree to sort out. Just some light reading.

6) It's not a shocking trend - scientists have been going on, for years, about the average human life span for US citizens being shorter because of obesity and other such rates climbing higher.
7) Aside that, I see no solid discussion of facts. What are the age groups of these women they're studying? It's unclear, but it seems that they're estimating life expectancy for the future.

I am in my thirties, my mother is in her 60's - and my grandmothers are in their 80's . . . and we're all still very much alive. :shrug:
Who will die first? Probably my paternal grandmother, her husband recently passed away and she has suffered from blood-clot related strokes over the years.
Then me - why me before my mother? Because I have a variety of health ailments that caused serious problems in my teen years and early twenties. Sure, now I'm past the serious symptoms, but I'm sure it's taken a permanent toll on my health. Education and all else doesn't matter, I'm a ticking time bomb.

 

[Arcana XV]

You're not old enough to go back....you never live it.

My grand-mother fought for hers and her daughters's rights. My mother and my aunts continued the fight. I was alive and remember a time when they couldn't legally buy property in their own country without their husbands permission. I may not have gone through what they went through, but I was legally an adult and politically active in the late 80's, early 90's when Swiss women in the canton of Appenzell were fighting for their right to vote. Don't let my youthful looks fool you, hon. I'm not as young as I look.

 

[vesper]

I don't believe this has to do with obesity or other things mentioned as it does with poverty. The article stated white female dropouts. The number one reason for a female to drop out of school is pregnancy. No education and a single mom is the equation for a struggling life. As I looked at the map, those who have strong pro-life beliefs are where the decrease in life expectancy occur. Where abortions are frequently used as a means of birth control such as the Northeast, Southwest, it is less of an issue. Even in these areas you find southern Oregon and the northern part of California tend to be very pro-life and the risk is highest in this area. But around Portland where it is very liberal as well as the rest of California it's not.

 

[Erod]

1. Obesity. Good gosh, most women are fat as hell these days.

2. The overwhelming divorce rate.

3. Raising multiple kids from multiple fathers with no man living in the home or contributing financially.

4. Higher drug and alcohol rates.

5. Almost zero exercise while living vicariously through reality TV.

6. Depression and stress as a result of the above.

 

[American]

My grand-mother fought for hers and her daughters's rights. My mother and my aunts continued the fight. I was alive and remember a time when they couldn't legally buy property in their own country without their husbands permission. I may not have gone through what they went through, but I was legally an adult and politically active in the late 80's, early 90's when Swiss women in the canton of Appenzell were fighting for their right to vote. Don't let my youthful looks fool you, hon. I'm not as young as I look.

There isn't a young American woman alive today that knows what it's like to truly have no rights or property. Europe had all kinds of oppression not long ago. But we're talking about what makes people die sooner. Well now that women are in the workforce facing the same **** that men have been for hundreds of years......join the club, I say. For years women thought men had it made in this world simply because they had certain status advantages. Well there's a price for having that status, and it's not easy at all. And whether women still run the vacuum at home is irrelevant, because they still expect men to be men even if they make the same money and have more social status. It didn't get easier being a man just because life for women changed.

And you're still a cutey.

 

[Ben K.]

There isn't a young American woman alive today that knows what it's like to truly have no rights or property. Europe had all kinds of oppression not long ago. But we're talking about what makes people die sooner. Well now that women are in the workforce facing the same **** that men have been for hundreds of years......join the club, I say. For years women thought men had it made in this world simply because they had certain status advantages. Well there's a price for having that status, and it's not easy at all. And whether women still run the vacuum at home is irrelevant, because they still expect men to be men even if they make the same money and have more social status. It didn't get easier being a man just because life for women changed.

And you're still a cutey.

I think if the bonus 5-10 years of life they got was in their 20s-60s and not in the nursing home they'd be more appreciative of the extra time.

 

[haymarket]

HAHA! In your house maybe...

I was speaking about the situation in tens of millions of homes in the USA.

 

[American]

I think if the bonus 5-10 years of life they got was in their 20s-60s and not in the nursing home they'd be more appreciative of the extra time.

So life sucks after 60?