Gaby
What will life expectancy look like at the equator in a century, and is it worth striving for longevity when the world is living an unhealthy lifestyle? Demographers, gerontologists, geneticists, and sociologists are increasingly raising these and other questions related to the aging of humanity.
Robin McKay, a scientific expert at Observer, is sounding the alarm. The planet’s population is aging under far from ideal conditions. Therefore, he believes the focus should be on increasing not just the number of years lived but the duration of healthy life.
More and more men and women around the world are reaching old age. As Robin McKay noted, in just ten years, a quarter of the British population will be over 65. Over the past 180 years, life in England has changed dramatically. Today, men and women there live, on average, twice as long as they did in 1841. The life expectancy has increased from 40.2 to 78.6 years for men and from 42.3 to 82.6 years for women. Similar changes are occurring in many other parts of the world, according to The Guardian.
The increase in years lived can be attributed to vaccination, significant improvements in sanitation, and many other factors. But how long will this trend of increasing life expectancy continue?
How Long Will Earthlings Live in the Near Future
One forecast suggests that by 2050, the global population of centenarians will reach nearly four million people (compared to just 95,000 in 1990). Not long ago, scientists even speculated that by the equator of the century, some individuals might live to be 150 years old.
However, researchers are increasingly noting that reaching this milestone will not be easy. Life expectancy rose for most of the 20th century, but then this trend stalled. Factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, rising mortality rates from various causes, and an increase in chronic diseases have taken their toll. In recent years, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused particularly significant harm to humanity.
As a result, life expectancy in developed countries has begun to decline. In the U.S., it dropped by 1.5 years between 2019 and 2020, a decline not seen since World War II.
Scientists predict that we are unlikely to see a rapid leap in longevity records anytime soon. In 2016, a team of researchers led by geneticist Jan Vijg from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York analyzed the maximum recorded age of death in France, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. Their conclusion was that it is improbable that people will reach 125 years in the coming decades.
By the way, the record holder for longevity in the vast database analyzed was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who was 122 years old at the time of her death in 1997.
Long Life Shouldn’t Be a Burden
Experts increasingly argue that simply tracking life expectancy is losing its key significance. The goal should be to increase not just the length of life but the length of healthy life.
Only when people are free from chronic diseases and financial worries can a long earthly journey be free of suffering.
This view is shared by Professor Neil Mabbott from the University of Edinburgh. He believes it is especially important now to develop clinical and social measures that promote healthy aging.
Meanwhile, Dr. Richard Siow, director of aging research at King’s College London, insists that mental health should be a key factor. This applies not only to older individuals but also to younger people who are gradually aging. Psychological well-being is crucial because when a person is depressed, they tend to avoid exercise, eat poorly, and neglect their financial health. As a result, aging becomes a burden, which it shouldn’t be.
