Why is life expectancy lower in the US than other developed countries? | Peter Attia & Saum Sutaria

[@wisccouple715]

I disagree. I believe the life expectancy differential is largely a system problem. We do not have universal healthcare. Yes, more people do have access to health insurance now due to the ACA, but because our system is a for-profit system, copays, deductibles, and denials limit access tremendously. The other countries that outperform us in life expectancy have universal health care. That is a very compelling correlation. And why do we do well as a country after age 65-70? Because that’s when we do have something akin to universal healthcare. It’s called Medicare.

[@xfefwegfrqwgqrgrqw]

Americans do well after 70 because of the survivor bias. Only the strongest make it

[@gregrodgers3350]

Strong disagree and I've had my family affected by poor coverage in the US. People are afraid to call 911 when they should because they fear the exorbitant bill they'll receive even with "insurance" from their employer.

[@Reewnat]

Coverage is not a problem? I think someone is not aware of the un/under-insurance issue in the US.

[@028fn48dne]

the only people who say it isn't a coverage problem are people who've had great coverage whenever they needed it. A majority of Peter's professional circle lives in a wealth bubble. I hope he brings on someone who actually works with people in poverty at some point.

[@willmcgregor7184]

US Healthcare The MOST EXPENSIVE in the world where even minor cases are a huge financial burden to many. Genius guest is out of touch!

[@TalleyrandsPuppet]

He makes $20 million per year off our misery. Not out of touch, just a liar.

[@DadHominem]

Breaking down the longevity statistics along demographic lines would be interesting. Sadly, it is now considered taboo to point out what seems glaringly obvious... I suspect that people who have high IQ, high levels of executive function, high levels of conscientiousness, and low levels of impulsivity often live well into their 80's and 90's - whereas people with the exact opposite traits live much shorter, unhealthier, and often chaotic and/or violent lives. Our genetics and choices make the difference.

[@testudohorsfieldii7052]

Where you are born makes far more of a difference than some nonsense eugenics pal.

[@janellison5011]

"...choose to not be covered [by insurance]... That is tone-deaf. Consider high premiums; unaffordable deductions; high cost of medications; etc.

[@quengmingmeow]

The life expectancy question really needs to be turned on its head. The question instead should be this: “Why is our life expectancy in the US so CLOSE to other developed nations. We have more accident deaths. More deaths by all kinds of violence. We are the most obese western nation (UK and Australia not far behind). We have more infant mortality than anyone else, more suicides, and more drug overdose deaths. Reason after reason after reason after reason where we have things in our culture that put us way behind all the others and we are ONLY about 3 years under other developed nations. So again……why are we only 3 years behind the others?

[@testudohorsfieldii7052]

Because other countries have problems too, obesity, the impact of neo liberalism, austerity, smoking, the US isn't perfect but neither is the rest of the world. That said Countries like Japan live on average longer and healthier lives.

[@snapman218]

I’m sick of people pretending they’re ignorant of how bad fast food is. It’s a lie.

[@mikemidwood9661]

Like how? I'm pretty sure most people are aware that fast food is unhealthy.

[@bobertperry]

I think most everyone knows that it’s bad. But many people don’t believe it’s that much worse than other options.

[@quengmingmeow]

People think it’s “bad”, but it’s the type of bad that will kill you in 30-40 years, not immediately. It’s really comparable to cigarette smoking. How many smokers die of lung cancer 10-20 years in…..very very few.

[@michaelthelastwarrior]

Fast food: Cheap, Yummy and Deadly😳

[@stevencole7331]

Smart people that have no answers . We know the problem but can't do anything about it because are unhealthy culture is so entrenched. Look at our holiday like Halloween. We sense are kids out to fill their bags up with junk and you could call poison . Same for Christmas and Easter . Holidays were taken over by the big corporations to pedal their junk food . It worked out great for profits but terrible for the health who consumed that junk . Not sure how you can change . It's so much apart of the culture and it's starts with our young kids . Drugs are interesting as they are not advertised like cigarettes but it's still engrained into our society the same for gun violence which is part of most the media we consume . You could say are media is brainwashing us

[@alphabeta8403]

3:30 Obesity 6:00 Lifestyle change

[@hasooni1334]

He lost me at “this isn’t a coverage problem”. 🧐

[@budawang77]

The US is almost six years behind Australia on life expectancy. Australia is quite a good comparison as lifestyle and diet is similar.

[@anneflynn9614]

Infant death mortality and death from gun violence in the United States occur much more in some ethnic communities than others.

[@SullyAfgarshe]

Yes, driven by inequality and poverty…capitalism only cares about one color 🟩

[@jackjack4412]

That's a socioeconomic division, not ethnicity.

[@SullyAfgarshe]

@ it’s actually both, literally “socio” is referring to social environment and ethnicity has a lot to do with one’s social environment, not just their net worth there have been many studies to show bias and racism within healthcare…it wasn’t even that long ago our own government was infecting African Americans with syphylis just to study how the disease progressed

[@jackjack4412]

@@SullyAfgarshe I meant to to say "not entirely" an ethnicity issue. Btw that study on healthcare treatment bias, do you remember if middle class and upper middle class black folk were also discriminated against?

[@SullyAfgarshe]

@@jackjack4412 there are many different studies that have been done on racial bias in medicine, honestly if you do a google search you'll find many reputable studies...I just read an article about a study on black mothers having c-sections done at a much higher rate than non-black women...here are some I found Drivers of Racial Differences in C-Sections. National Bureau of Economic Research. 2024. Challenging the Use of Race in the Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section Calculator. Womens Health Issues, Jacobs Institute of Womens Health. 2019. Placenta accreta spectrum-a catastrophic situation in obstetrics. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2021. Risk of severe maternal morbidity associated with cesarean delivery and the role of maternal age: a population-based propensity score analysis. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2019. Long-term risks and benefits associated with cesarean delivery for mother, baby, and subsequent pregnancies: Systematic review and meta-analysis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2018.

[@alanbarnett6993]

You deny the obvious reason: access to health care. We have a single payer health care system (medicare) for people 65 and over. Coverage for people under 65, while better than before Obamacare, is still scattershot.

[@ptortland]

Is the high rate of infant mortality related to the fact that the United States, more than any other country, employs heroic efforts to save infants that are born significantly prematurely? In other countries such infant deaths are not counted against mortality rate, unlike in the US.

[@christopherhaak9824]

Yes, my understanding is that infant deaths are defined differently in other locations.

[@annawasser9409]

Wtf - it’s not a system problem, it’s not a coverage problem?!?!?

[@jasminecrandall2262]

Infant mortality is largely attributed to maternal obesity and the co morbidities that are associated with that.

[@samuelfink4799]

Most of you bitching about access to healthcare could benefit from routine access to a gym. If you don’t care enough to accept some responsibility then visiting a doctor isn’t going to help.

[@testudohorsfieldii7052]

What planet are you on pal, if you have a car accident or have some genetic/hereditary issue and don't have adequate health cover, how is a trip to the gym going to help?

[@samuelfink4799]

@ I’m from the planet of working for a living since I was old enough to work, some weeks work up to 70-80 hours a week, shift work at that in a chemical plant. Nothings free in this world, contrary to what liberals might tell you.

[@testudohorsfieldii7052]

@samuelfink4799 and if you get made redundant lose your health cover and then get hit by a car? Should I come visit you when you get made bankrupt from medical bills and repeat your tired old pull yourself up by your bootstraps cliche?😴

[@DadHominem]

Breaking down the longevity statistics along demographic lines would be interesting. Sadly, it is now considered taboo to point out what seems glaringly obvious...

[@jackjack4412]

The studies always break down stats by demographics.

[@M0rkM0ndel]

Had to stop watching when guest claimed that this isn’t a “coverage” problem, as if health insurance in the US is not at fault. Negative health outcomes in the US are entirely the fault of the profit-driven insurance model. I have coverage and also avoid care because it still adds considerable cost. I have friends who can’t afford coverage and so get no healthcare. This man is disappointingly disconnected from reality.

[@M0rkM0ndel]

@ I actually keep thinking about this and I become more and more appalled. How absurd that they propose that if people only could make it to 70 in the US, they’d live so much longer. Wonder why so many die before then? Oh I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of the terrible inequality causing disparity in care? What do 70 year olds in the US have? Medicare! Government funded single payer universal healthcare kicks in at retirement age. All those years beforehand the system is designed to deny care, but if you somehow make the birth lottery and can pay for health insurance and therapy, you’ll have the physical and emotional care needed to make it to old age.

[@Ice-178]

Yeah, that was when I clicked off too. What a disingenuous schmuck

[@djnv4702]

Not just the insurance industry. Also medical industry all across the board. FDA food capture. Pharma capture. All of it.

[@darth_pronator]

Government healthcare will always be worse as every government run industry is. What we need is a logical set of rules, regulations and markets that use market forces to drive the best health outcomes efficiently. That’s not easy to create. But it’s what we need.

[@dnmecham5227]

This whole comment is divorced from reality. If you “can’t afford care” there are subsidized plans on the healthcare exchange or Medicaid. Negative outcomes have almost zero to do with profit driven HC.

[@goldstandardaviation1667]

Our large population of low rent citizens

[@Mary-il6zz]

Deaths of despair. Failed medical system. Poor quality food. Poor education. Lack of gun control.

[@miketracy9256]

IMO, under age 70 we have more bad lifestyle choices that are driven by the junk food fed to our students in the Democrat-run schools, and the failure of the US educational system to teach how to stay healthy. The high crime and drug use in the Democrat-run big cities and the perverse Democrat welfare system that punishes marriage and work and rewards bad choices are also not seen in the other advanced countries.

[@mplate1792]

In the interest of resolving issues, one must break it down to demographic statistics. The topic is being avoided. What demographic is dying early, violent deaths? Knowing that allows us to focus on it and resolve it.

[@evanhadkins5532]

I'm from Australia. The comments are 'interesting'. You need to get some overseas people into the commentary Peter.

[@lisinbondi1240]

Yes. Our life expectancy is longer than the US and last time I looked we were considered a developed nation. He has a typically US centric bias It is definitely a 2 tier system

[@dublinf4477]

Great point. That’s why I love traveling. Totally different perspective when you get outside the United States.

[@Bdubbs711]

People with moderate wealth are cooked and then pursue the "good life" (food, sitting, and materialism). Too much of the "good life" is bad for your mental and physical health. Need behavioral changes.

[@RC_NotTheCola]

We live in a society that is just over stimulated and over committed. We feel the need to rush through everything to get to the next task which means basic nutrition and health get put on the back burner.

[@028fn48dne]

People who make it to the age when the finally get socialized medicine have the best lifespan in the OEDC. Not surprising at all. And don't underestimate how much American car dependency affects this. Countries with good public transportation and camera enforced traffic laws have much lower rates of death on the road.

[@spambot_gpt7]

US is a PvP server on hardcore mode. That's why most of the Pros are in the US.

[@MarkShepard-gn2sn]

Nathan Pritiken said that a human is meant to live 7 times the age of puberty. The age of puberty has been reduced because of the consumption of dairy and other animal products. Obviously, there are other factors, but this is the expectation at a young age.

[@dublinf4477]

I have no idea where you came up with dairy has increased the age of puberty. Interesting thought. I have no knowledge on that. I’ve never heard that, but it made me think.

[@MarkShepard-gn2sn]

@@dublinf4477 I looked back and Nathan Pritiken said in an interview that is on youtube with Dr. John McDougall that all primates live 7 times puberty (it's at the very end). For dairy, I must of heard it from Dr. McDougall. See his October 2016 newsletter: When a human child is fed cow's milk, designed for four times their natural growth rate, they become over-nourished. This means they get too many calories and too much fat, promoting obesity. It also means they get too much protein, which raises growth hormone levels. One consequence of accelerated growth is precocious puberty. Girls become women at 12 instead of 16. Boys mature earlier, too. video - McDougall Moments: Precocious puberty - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKXRnmeqrJuVq7c Sadly, most of us learn these details when we are much older and trying to bring this to light for our children or grand children is fruitless. I hope you find this info useful.

[@Timtimtimmy007]

Higher rates of stds? But circumcision was supposed to fix that!

[@sparkymac3320]

This is Peter’s worst guest ever. IMO. Imagine a first time listener stumbles onto this episode, zero chance he’ll ever tune in again. Peter, delete this episode as quickly as possible.

[@1robrace]

"The border is a healthcare issue." Don't tell Biden or Obama.

[@zealman79]

cewkaine...fentanyl ...fast food.

[@Cas_anova]

Why oh why? any guesses? 😂

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[@FinanzFerdinand]

Obesity

[@OneJame]

It’s simple. Wealth inequality.

[@anneflynn9614]

Health care is available to low income people for free through Medicaid. People's personal habits and life styles also play a big part.

[@tommybruen4686]

Let’s see…guns, drugs, automobile accidents, cancer, cardiovascular disease… Can any of these be reduced? (That’s a sarcastic question.) Of course they CAN. But there is a huge resistance to it. “You can’t make me” attitude. Why is firearms the leading cause of death of children? Why are cars built to speed? Why are drugs a criminal issue and not a healthcare issue? Why are foods that are known to be unhealthy subsidised?

[@USERNAME1365]

Let's see, outcomes are worse for people under 70 but magically get better a few years after medicare kicks in and this isn't partially about the healthcare system?! My understanding is that 35,327 to 44,789 people between the ages of 18 and 64 die in the U.S. each year because they lack heath insurance to say nothing of other health issues. Why would you bother getting preventative treatment when you have a huge deductible?

[@snapman218]

Also it isn’t gun violence. It’s “gang” violence that’s the actual issue. We can tell where this guy’s politics lies. The reason why he’s not being candid is because people would accuse him of some kind of unspeakable crime of noticing biological reality. This is an artifact of the reality that the medical profession is highly regulated, and therefore gate kept by government cronies rather than true visionaries or people with integrity.

[@ShastaTodd]

OMG, your trumper idiocy is showing

[@snapman218]

Lol nope I’m an anarchist. I never voted and I never will. Ha ha try again.

[@mbmurphy777]

Well, it depends on how you look at things. Over half of gun deaths in the United States are suicides. There’s a few thousand accidental gun deaths per year. About 400 people per year are killed specifically by rifles (including “assault” rifles). For perspective about 700 people die per year in the United States from getting tangled up in their bedsheets. The gun violence problem in the United States is a handgun problem and handgun violence is overwhelmingly driven by criminal activity.

[@CatastrophicDisease]

@@snapman218 Lmao you were accused of being a Trumper and you responded by basically saying “nope I’m actually even dumber than that, joke’s on you!”

[@gchekibed2099]

​@@CatastrophicDiseaseCongratulations! You're in the lead in the race to the bottom.

[@burnhamsghost8044]

Break it down by demographics.

[@removethewill]

Gun control ?

[@erastvandoren]

Demographics

[@markpellegrin417]

"Life expectancy has improved" -- This is human-centric of course. Capitalism is destroying ALL life on the planet. Ecocide. Not your subject, i know. But just adding my two cents.

[@CatholicSatan]

_Your figures are wrong again_ (just as with your GDP figures)!! Life expectancy in the US at 65 is _lower_ than comparable countries, not way better. The KFF analysis of "How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries?" shows that for women the life expectancy at 65 is 20.2 years in the US compared to 22 years for comparable countries and 17.5 years and 19 years respectively for men.

[@snapman218]

Freedom means the right to choose poor food. We don’t have government overreach telling us what to do.

[@ShastaTodd]

that is trumper narcissistic nonsense. eating shit impacts health and that costs everyone...

[@SiVispacemparabellum045]

The whole thing is mute, you can pontificate about having the best medical care after 65. Longevity is pointless if you are a gibbering wreck pumped full of drugs just to increase my life span, if someone else is wiping my arse then just let me go. Health span is the only metric that matters.