The USA's top 10% are becoming increasingly long lived

[Tadpole]

It's apple pie's fault.

 

[GTFan]

The drink or the dessert?

 

[Danmar]

Agree with most of the (serious) responses. I wonder if the effect increases for the top 1%? Doubtful I think. Intelligence may be the root causal factor? They should do a study on that. Anyway let's just hope our politicians don't take up the cause of how unfair this is and "fix" the problem by taxing the "rich" more. Although any attempt to redistribute wealth to the bottom 10% might just make matters worse. Ie they might just smoke more, get more obese, and abuse Oxi-contin more.

 

[Winemaker]

Agree, as modified. ;-). We won't give up our wine cellar!

+1

 

[frayne]

Longevity is a mute point if there is no quality of life in those differential years. I'd rather die at seventy with a pack of camels in my shirt sleeve, a fifth of Jim Beam and a few cute little 60 years old on my arm than having someone changing my diapers in some rest home when I'm eighty years old.

 

[Music Lover]

Longevity is a mute point if there is no quality of life in those differential years. I'd rather die at seventy with a pack of camels in my shirt sleeve, a fifth of Jim Beam and a few cute little 60 years old on my arm than having someone changing my diapers in some rest home when I'm eighty years old.

One can't assume there is no quality of life in extra years of living. Unless one suddenly drops dead, there is normally a gradual (or not so gradual for some) decline in the later years, regardless of whether one lives to 80 or to 95.

I don't want to be in diapers, but if it comes down to that, then I'd prefer that if be from 90 to 95 rather than from 75 to 80.

 

[Nemo2]

DW's father turned 90 last December...........minor ailments only....

 

[Gearhead Jim]

My income while working probably put me in the top 10% and we live in an "appropriate" neighborhood, but I also had another job where I worked in a lower blue collar community.


The number of continuously bad choices made by the low education/low income group was stunning, and their health status was only part of the issue.

 

[Letj]

I think this phenomenon is mostly confined to US. If you look at most other countries rich or poor you don't generally find this to be true because often people don't eat differently based on socio-economic factors, with some exceptions of course. Often they eat based on how they've eaten for generations and there is less availability of junk food and more access to fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, poor in other countries don't have access to prescription narcotics and hardcore drugs and sometimes when they do, it's a cultural taboo to take them. For example, the poor in Costa Rica live much much longer than the poor in the US even though the poor in the US have better access to health care.


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[Big_Hitter]

There is a reason that mortality rates are weighted by pay or pension amounts when constructing a mortality table. I don't see how this is news or some sort of epiphany.

 

[Big_Hitter]

There is actually much talk among socialist parties here in Europe about giving poor people higher pensions because they tend to live shorter and have longer careers (work at 18 vs. study until 24). I didn't realize the difference was that big.

That would probably be age-discriminatory in the US (i.e. paying a higher benefit to those with a younger age, ceteris paribus) .

Also, it would incent spending down assets to get a higher pension.

 

[Big_Hitter]

One other thing to note regarding SS, the ROI for a maximum earner is much, much lower than the ROI for a career at half the taxable wage base.

 

[Shanky]

Longevity is a mute point if there is no quality of life in those differential years. I'd rather die at seventy with a pack of camels in my shirt sleeve, a fifth of Jim Beam and a few cute little 60 years old on my arm than having someone changing my diapers in some rest home when I'm eighty years old.

Moot | Define Moot at Dictionary.com
dictionary.reference.com/browse/moot
Dictionary.com
open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point. 2. of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.

 

[Nemo2]

Moot | Define Moot at Dictionary.com
dictionary.reference.com/browse/moot
Dictionary.com
open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point. 2. of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.

Although...if one is dead....being mute is S.O.P.

 

[Car-Guy]

Longevity is a mute point if there is no quality of life in those differential years. I'd rather die at seventy with a pack of camels in my shirt sleeve, a fifth of Jim Beam and a few cute little 60 years old on my arm than having someone changing my diapers in some rest home when I'm eighty years old.

Not sure I buy the article but I agree with "most of your comments". My changes/edits in red.

if there is no quality of life in those differential years. I'd rather die at seventy with a pack of [-]camels[/-] Marlboros in my shirt sleeve, a fifth of [-]Jim Beam[/-] Crown Royal and a few cute little [-]60[/-] 30 years old on my arm than having someone changing my diapers in some rest home when I'm [-]eighty years old[/-] any age.

 

[marko]

As Elton John once sang: "...Times have changed and now the poor get fat...".

I suspect a relative absence of smoking, poor diet, violence and hard drugs are a large contributor in the rich's lifespan.

I know I'm a bit paranoid but red lights always go off when I see 'envy' articles...the subtle implication is always that the rich deserve to be brought down a peg.

It's been a long, long time since Ringo Starr sang: "...wave at the man in the Rolls Royce, because he knows how to live..."

 

[Tadpole]

What do the rich snack on? I really don't know but if you are replacing potato chips or the like for the poor, they need access to a more desirable and affordable way to spend their time. What do the rich do for play and exercise. Give the poor the same free time and facilities but it has to be more desirable and affordable than TV.

 

[Big_Hitter]

What do the rich snack on? I really don't know but if you are replacing potato chips or the like for the poor, they need access to a more desirable and affordable way to spend their time. What do the rich do for play and exercise. Give the poor the same free time and facilities but it has to be more desirable and affordable than TV.

rich people don't snack, they dine

they also play a lot of golf/tennis and work out a lot

 

[2017ish]

... Give the poor the same free time and facilities but it has to be more desirable and affordable than TV.

More time is easy; it likely is already the case, as I've seen nothing to indicate a reversal from this: In 1983, the most poorly paid 20 percent of workers were more likely to put in long work hours than the top paid 20 percent. By 2002, the best-paid 20 percent were twice as likely to work long hours as the bottom 20 percent. Why High Earners Work Longer Hours

As for making it more desirable than TV (internet, whatever), I think that is the crux of the problem. For most of us (me definitely included), exercise is delayed gratification personified--we may not enjoy it, but do because we want to be active 20 years from now. (affordability of exercise seemingly wouldn't be an issue; walking, basic set of weights from craigslist, etc....) The long shadow of the marshmallow test reaches out again....

 

[Clone]

I'll start to believe in my own mortality if Kieth Richards dies. ( though Lemmy's passing did shake my faith a bit. )

I believe that Keith is well preserved.

As in fully smoked and pickled!

 

[Hamlet]

I don't see that anyone has mentioned one likely cause of this is selection bias -- If you have serious health issues, you are going to have difficulty earning a lot of money.

I think it is pretty tough to stay in the 10% of earners if you are getting chemo or dialysis, for example.

 

[frayne]

Sorry about the wrong spelling and maybe just a little too much hyperbole but my point is, if there is little or no quality of life in those extra years, is it worth living. I agree with the general observation about education and higher income folks living longer due to a more enlightened and affluent lifestyle. All that said I've know many older poor and uneducated folks that have lived very long and healthy lives and have known many educated and affluent folks that have taken the early dirt nap. So I guess the point is moot !!!!

 

[Car-Guy]

rich people don't snack, they dine

they also play a lot of golf/tennis and work out a lot

I thought being in the top few % was considered rich. I guess not since I don't really "dine" (unless Burger King, and Taco Bell "dining rooms" count ) hate golf, don't care for tennis, haven't worked out in years (but I still have a set of Olympic style weights just in case the urge strikes me, if that counts)

 

[Car-Guy]

Sorry about the wrong spelling and maybe just a little too much hyperbole but my point is, if there is little or no quality of life in those extra years, is it worth living. I agree with the general observation about education and higher income folks living longer due to a more enlightened and affluent lifestyle. All that said I've know many older poor and uneducated folks that have lived very long and healthy lives and have known many educated and affluent folks that have taken the early dirt nap. So I guess the point is moot !!!!

Well, at least now, we know what brand of whiskey you carry in your flagon.

 

[Senator]

The number of continuously bad choices made by the low education/low income group was stunning, and their health status was only part of the issue.

As a former Section 8 landlord, I can absolutely attest to this. It is habits that cause low income, not low income causing the habits.