So, I read that for the first time in almost a century, the life expectancy for almost one-fifth of American women is dropping, according to a study by a University of Washington researcher.
Authors believe in general, more women are dying earlier because of smoking, obesity and lack of exercise. This unfortunate trend is happening in the poorest parts country.
The story in Reuters notes that overall life expectancy in the U.S. climbed to 79 in 2005, making us 42nd in the world for life expectancy — not a very good rating for one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But then again, authors note that it’s those who live in poor counties, not the wealthy ones, whose life expectancy rates are dropping.
The story in The Seattle Times notes that in Washington state, Douglas County saw the smallest gains in life expectancy over a 38-year period from 1961 to 1999. But when you look at the figures, Douglas County had the highest life expectancy in 1961 at 75.8, and was among the highest in 1999, at 79.6. Chelan County saw impressive gains — going from 71.1 to 79.0, but still ranks below Douglas County. Grant sits in the middle, at 77.7, rising from 70.8.
It’s Okanogan County that stands out in my mind, partly because that’s where I live. Although it, too, sits toward the top of the list in the number of years gained in life expectancy since the ’60s, Okanogan and Ferry counties were at the bottom of the list back then at 68.9, and still hover close to the bottom at 76.4. Only one county ranks lower in the state now, and that’s Grays Harbor. Worth some investigation, I would say.

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