Tuesday, December 18, 2012

We are living longer than we thought - for now!


When I was studying for an MBA we had brilliant professor of finance who had a lovely phrase that I have never forgot - trends go on until they stop.

Yesterday the ONS published a lot of data about what seem to be the inexorable rise in the longevity of England and Wales - well some parts of England and Wales

A word of explanation:
Mode = Most likely age of death
Media = The age where there are 50% more and 50% less likely to die 
LE = The good old meaningless average of death

These simple numbers can be a bit misleading. Firstly, it depends where you live. Remember that in some parts of Scotland the average life expectancy is less than the Gaza Strip.

Secondly, how long we live has a hell of a lot to do with our lifestyle in our early years. You don't need me to tell you that a lot of kids are overweight as are their parents. My bet is the future direction of the graphs will be down rather than up. Dick Stroud



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