Startling statistic of the week

(charlie3) #1

I listened to a youtube video interviewing George Will, the political commentator, about his new book. He said that, in 1900, Amareican spent more on funerals than health care.

(Carl Keller) #2

That’s the way it should be. There were virtually no processed foods then and everyone ate plenty of natural fats.

(Ken) #3

Well, life expectancy was around 47 for Men back then.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #4

No vaccines, penicillin? Even a perfect diet can not overcome all contagious diseases.

(Andi loves space, bacon and fasting. ) #5

A perfect diet couldn’t overcome WW1 either.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #6

Right, and the Spanish flu pandemic.

(charlie3) #7

People only die once, whether sooner or later. Controling most infectious diseases certainly increased life span across the board. (Science and public health get credit for that one, not doctors. Besides eating better than us they also were more active. Not that long ago very few people had cars. Even if you could afford to keep a horse and buggy the time and trouble with that was only worthwhile if you werer going a considerable distance. Before cars everybody did a lot of walking and that made a difference.

I live in a neighborhood where every house has a front porch. Before television (and facebook) on nice evenings, half the neighborhood would be seated on their porches greeting the other half walking by.