Another Logic Question

I’ve read several stories on the new US life expectancy data. The quick story?

Life expectancy for white females born in 2007: 80.7 years
Life expectancy for white males born in 2007: 75.8 years
Life expectancy for black females born in 2007: 77 years
Life expectancy for black males born in 2007: 70.2 years
Overall life expectancy for babies born in 2007: 77.9 years

Now, what do you think the headlines are?

“African-American Men to Live 70 Years”? It is the first time the black male life expectancy has been above 70.

“Life Expectancy Still Shows Racial Discrepencies”? The life expectency for black men still lags behind white men by 5.6 years; black women are nearly 4 years behind white women.

“U.S. Life Expectancy Still Lags”? I mean, we do. According to the NY Times, “14 countries in 2007 had life expectancies of at least 81 years, including Japan (83), Australia and Italy (82) and France, Israel, Singapore and Spain (81).” (All of which have universal health care. Ahem.)

Nope…. It’s all variations on “US Life Expectancy At All-Time High”. Not sure why the media decided that’s the most important point, but then, we’re dealing with media logic here. At least they don’t try to point out how much higher it would be if everyone wasn’t so fat.

(Oops, spoke too soon. Fox News now has a “The Truth About” article which claims that obesity will bring down our life expectancies any day now really.)

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Posted

August 20, 2009

health, News

Living 400lbs

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12 responses to “Another Logic Question”

La di Da

August 20, 2009

So…being omgdethfatz is supposed to lower your life expectancy by 5 years. And Australian life expectancy for white females is 84. … … … I’m not seeing the problem with only living to 79 instead of 84. (If the dethfatz predictions are even true.)

I think we have better things to worry about, like poorer health and much lower life expectancy in indigenous populations. It’s something appalling like 55 years for Australian Aboriginals. Seriously, they want to freak out over my pasty white fat arse while pretty much ignoring or being completely patronising about anyone who might be a bit, you know, brown. But then we might have to think about icky things like racism.

Reply
1. living400lbs
  
  August 20, 2009
  
  Yeouch. And I thought the 5-year difference was bad.
  
  Reply
  1. The Bald Soprano
    
    August 21, 2009
    
    The report doesn’t seem to actually talk about Native American life expectancy, btw.
    
    Reply
    1. living400lbs
      
      August 21, 2009
      
      No. Nor Asian-American, which is actually more prevalent where I live than African-American.
      
      Reply
2. the fat nutritionist
  
  August 21, 2009
  
  I think we have better things to worry about, like poorer health and much lower life expectancy in indigenous populations. It’s something appalling like 55 years for Australian Aboriginals. Seriously, they want to freak out over my pasty white fat arse while pretty much ignoring or being completely patronising about anyone who might be a bit, you know, brown. But then we might have to think about icky things like racism.
  
  Holy SHIT. 55 years? This is so incredibly fucked-up I can’t express myself adequately.
  
  Reply
lifeonfats

August 20, 2009

I heard the story this evening on my local news. They did end with saying the rising rates of obesity are threatening not only to lower the number of life expectancy, but the lowered numbers of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Because all obese people suffer from all those conditions you know.

Reply
1. living400lbs
  
  August 20, 2009
  
  Yes, of course we do. *headdesk*
  
  Reply
Regina T

August 20, 2009

Those results are from when?? 2007? Excuse my ignorance, but aren’t there fat people already whose life expectancy is higher as well? Not just those who were BORN in 2007?

Maybe it’s my lack of sleep (I got 3 hours last nite..thanks to the heat) but it seems as if we are all living longer IN SPITE OF TEH OMGZ OBESITY EPIDEMIC!!!!111.

So…what I’m saying is, since the statistics show a decrease of 2.1 percent overall of deaths, and we’re all so deathly fat, why isn’t this disparity truly challenging the fat=death fallacy? Or is Fox news gonna set me straight on this thought process?

(sorry if im coming across incoherently..I haz da sleepies)

Reply
1. living400lbs
  
  August 20, 2009
  
  Naw, you’re just channeling my initial thoughts… ;)
  
  The CDC announces it’s projected life expectancies every year based on causes of death in that year. I’m sure if had taken more statistics courses it would make more sense to me.
  
  Reply
  1. Bilt4Cmfrt
    
    August 20, 2009
    
    See Regina, what your not getting is that ‘it’s not TIME yet’. Prof. Nostradamus has consulted the pinpricks in the shawl of darkness that covers the sun at night and it’s all going to go down on June 6, 2016 at 6:06 PM (+/- 6 seconds) on a Saturday. All us Obeses might FEEL fine up until that point but then, no matter how healthy any of us might SAY we are (Everybody knows we all lie about what we eat, so falsifying our medical records is a given. Fat Tax Dodgers the lot of us!!), several million of us are all going to keel over at once! So get your track suits together! Go out and buy those matching tennis shoes early ’cause we all get beamed up in a little over six years! Unless, of course, I’m reading it all wrong. . . .
    
    Reply
the fat nutritionist

August 21, 2009

The racial disparity is pretty stark and scary, to me. I mean, it is, of course, good news that things are going up, but…I don’t know. There are so many complicated issues contained in this one piece of information…and some of them are quite disturbing.

Reply
1. living400lbs
  
  August 21, 2009
  
  Yes.
  
  Btw, I look forward to your “how” post (following on the “what” one) when you get it ready :)
  
  Reply