“That means not only are middle-aged white people drinking more, using more opioids, and killing themselves at higher rates, more of them are getting sick with the diseases that usually kill older people. And when they do get sick, they don’t get better.”
From this quotation from the referenced article you may think that drinking and drugs are the reason for this uptick in the death rate but upon closer investigation, it seems there is a basic, underlying cause that is affecting us all.
Lifestyle.
We’ve reached the point when technology and treatments cannot overcome the effects of poor lifestyle choices in the United States. For the first time in 10 years the death rate has risen. While cancer and heart disease have long been the primary causes of death, heart disease death rate had been steadily declining. It is believed that this offset deaths due to drug overdoses and suicide. However, this year the number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease has increased.
Yes, the increase in opioid drug use is definitely a serious problem and factor. Often those drugs lead to depression and suicide. While fewer people are dying from the leading causes of death – heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease – than 50 years ago, that is changing. The rate of decline of these diseases has slowed.
Lifestyle is the factor every one of us can control. I believe it is directly attributable to rising obesity rates since heart disease, cancer and diabetes are all directly linked to obesity. I understand obesity is a complicated issue, but reversing this trend and improving health all begin with better lifestyle choices and the best place to begin is optimizing nutrition.
Does it surprise you that the death rate in the United States is rising?
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