Reply #49: I think the "we live alot longer" is a myth [View All]

[hfojvt]

Alot of that statistic comes from comparing averages. The average in the old days was brought down by a much higher incidence of child mortality. Once a person reached the age of 20 in the year 1600 or so, they lived about as long as we do. The exception was women who, either having or using no birth control usually had a dozen kids between the age of 20 and 45 and often died in childbirth especially if they had twins at an advanced age. More people on average are reaching the age of sixty and ninety and so on which is not to say that we live longer. My paternal immigrant ancestor was born in 1705 and died in 1787. His great grandson on my line was born in 1811 and died in 1901. Yet that person's great-grandson, my grandfather, only reached the age of 80, as did his little brother and one of my uncles has died at the age of 73.

Anyway, I share their concern in this regard. It seems pretty clear that a large increase in diabetes is due to a huge influx of processed sugar into the American diet, even in places where you do not necessarily expect it, like Hamburger Helper. We also seem to be doing very little to stem the flow of carcinogens that our industry is bringing into our lives.