As odd as it might sound, immortality is getting more and more attainable every day as technology advancements and health care treatments strengthen at lightning speed. A recent scientific study about life expectancy forecasts, alternative scenarios – as well as the dominant causes of death that we will face in 2040 – reveals that all countries are looking at an increase in their global lifespans.
In 2016, China had an average life expectancy of 76.3 years, and was ranked sixty-eighth in all of 195 nations. If recent health tendencies continues, China’s rank could rise to thirty-ninth in 2040 as its average life expectancy would rise to 81.9 years – a spectacular hike of 5.6 years.
On the other hand, the United States’ boost is not as astonishing. Ranked forty-third in 2016, with an average lifespan of 78.7 years, their life expectancy is forecast to increase of only 1.1 years, bringing them to 79.8 years, but dropping in rank to sixty-fourth.
The United Kingdom had a lifespan of 80.8 years in 2016 and is now expected to rise to 83.3, moving from a rank of twenty-sixth to twenty-third in 2040.
According to a study released in the international medical journal, The Lancet, a majority of deaths will be the outcome of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, lung cancer and even worsening health consequences linked to obesity.
Yet, there are many ways to address health issues. “The future of the world’s health is not pre-ordained, and there is a wide range of plausible trajectories,” said Dr. Kyle Foreman, Director of Data Science at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Since most premature mortalities are results of high blood pressure, high body mass index, high blood sugar, tobacco use, alcohol use and air pollution, many solutions are open to us. Addressing key risk factors can be as simple as start with regulating our nutrition, maintaining a balanced lifestyle, and treating our body and our environment with love and care.