American life expectancy blues

Imperial College London and the World Health Organization analysed lifespans in 35 industrialised countries.

The USA is on course to have the lowest life expectancy of rich countries by 2030. The study predicts an average age of 80 for men and 83 for women - roughly the same state Mexico and Croatia will have achieved. The US will be overtaken by Chile, where women born in 2030 will expect to live for 87 years and men for 81.

Prof Majid Ezzati told the BBC News website, "Society in the US is very unequal to an extent the whole national performance is affected - it is the only country without universal health insurance. And it is the first country that has stopped growing taller, which shows something about early life nutrition."